Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the additional funding provided to the police in the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, published on 6 March 2024, will have a consequential impact on the police allocation formula.

The Government has announced an additional £234m will be invested in police productivity over the next four years.

This funding will be used to pilot or roll out cutting-edge technology such as live facial recognition, automation and the use of drones as first responders. It will also set up a Centre for Police Productivity to support police forces’ use of data and deliver this technology, maximising productivity and the use of AI.

Funding will be distributed to specific programmes and we are working with policing partners to allocate this funding. This funding will help all forces to free-up police officer time and improve performance.