Police Service of Northern Ireland: Finance
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the financial support available to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn
The Government recognises the financial pressures the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) faces. However, policing is largely a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the PSNI’s main budget is allocated by the Department of Justice from the Northern Ireland block grant.
The Government has provided Northern Ireland with a record settlement of £19.3 billion on average per year of the Spending Review – the largest settlement in real terms in the history of devolution. It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to make decisions on the allocation of resources in line with its identified priorities and for the Department of Justice to allocate funding to the PSNI.
In recognition of the security situation in Northern Ireland, the Government is providing the PSNI with £37.8 million in Additional Security Funding each financial year until 28/29. In addition, a further £4 million has been allocated to PSNI for this financial year to help with the costs incurred by the PSNI during the recent disorder.
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