Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what financial support his Department provides to police forces for the policing of football matches.

The 2019/20 police funding settlement provides the biggest increase in police funding since 2010. Total police funding is increasing by over £1 billion in 2019/20 compared with last year including council tax and funding to tackle serious violence.

Event organisers are responsible for the safety and security of their events, but they are able to request ‘Special Police Services’ from the relevant police force, which the force can charge for. Police forces estimate that it costs around £48m to police football matches in England and Wales.

The Home Office UK Football Policing Unit will provide additional funding of up to £521,000 in 2019/20 to support local police operations gathering evidence and obtaining preventative football banning orders against individuals involved in violence or disorder in connection with football matches.