Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2025 to Question 46185 on Police: Recruitment, and with reference to the document entitled Transparency data: Cambridgeshire Constabulary, published on 9 April 2025, whether the projected growth for Cambridgeshire Constabulary is the only police recruitment budgeted for in Cambridgeshire in the 2025-26 financial year.

The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to tackle crime effectively and protect the communities they serve. We have been clear with all forces that they are required to deliver sufficient recruitment to maintain officer numbers through funding provided in the 2025-26 police funding settlement in parallel with neighbourhood policing commitments.

Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement – a significant increase, and more than the increase last year. This equates to a 7.1% cash increase, and 4.6% real terms increase in funding. This includes funding to support the costs of the 2024-25 pay award, the increase in the employer national insurance contributions, funding for officer maintenance and an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of 13,000 additional police personnel into neighbourhood policing roles.

A total of up to £376.8 million has been allocated to support the maintenance of police officer numbers in England and Wales in 2025-26. It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to put in place robust workforce plans that will ensure forces can continue to manage budgets whilst delivering sufficient recruitment to maintain officer numbers and their neighbourhood policing commitments.