Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that Police and Crime Commissioners make effective use of financial reserves.

In 2017, Police and Crime Commissioners held over £1.6bn in financial reserves. This is public money and the public are entitled to more information around police plans for reserves and how those plans will support more effective policing. That is why in January 2018, we published details of reserves levels held in all police force areas in England and Wales. Alongside this, we provided new guidance requiring PCCs to publish their reserves strategies in plain English, with a clear justification for each reserve held, including how it will be used to help deliver a good quality service to the public. You can find this information at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-financial-reserves