Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire's Draft Policing Service Budgets and Precept 2024-25
Report of the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel (The Panel) to the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire (The PFCC)
With regard to:
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire’s Draft Policing Service Budget and Precept 2024/25
As required under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 this is the formal report by the Panel on their consideration of, and decision on your proposed Policing Service Budget/Precept for 2024/25. The legislation gives us the power to veto your Precept if we consider it to be too low or too high and sets out the procedures to be followed both by the Panel and yourself in the event of the veto being exercised.
The Panel met on Monday 5 February 2024. You attended, accompanied by your Chief Executive and your Director of Finance.
The Panel received your proposed budget and precept proposals for the Police and Crime element of your portfolio for 2024/25. You reported that the proposed budget/precept showed a total net revenue budget requirement of £264.824m for 2024/25. You proposed to part fund the balance from Council Tax funding of £100.091m with an increase of 4.99% per annum (an increase of £13 per annum) increasing the Council tax to £273.57 p.a. per Band D property.
You reported that the Force would continue to strive for savings and efficiencies and that they have saved £7m during 2023/34 with more savings planned in future years. The Panel, during their discussions considered the following information:
- Budget Report 2024/25 including Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)
- Treasury Management Strategy 2024/25
- Reserves Strategy update
- Capital Strategy and Capital Programme 2024/25 to 2027/28
- A summary of the results of the public and stakeholder engagement survey.
The Panels minutes of the meeting can be found at Browse meetings - Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel - Staffordshire County Council
The Panels principle questioning was around efficiency and performance. You explained that prior to any decisions being taken regarding projects or investments, a full governance programme was followed to ensure that the investment was still needed and that any proposals were still the most effective and best value for money.
It was also explained that through investment, more productivity could be achieved by using technology to collect data or intelligence more quickly. Investment in estates through solar panels and heating systems would also lead to savings. Throughout the budget there was emphasis on investments leading to future savings.
At the conclusion of our discussions on your proposal, we resolved to support your Precept increase of 4.99% and Revenue Budget for 2024/25. The Panel stressed that the transformation plans were key to the budget proposals being achieved. The public need to be assured that these would lead to visible results in the communities. The projects therefore need to be delivered and results need to be seen in terms of reducing crime and improving service.
The Panel have asked for updates on progress on Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and Transformation projects to be included in their future budget update reports. These should include what benefit the transformation project has added. At the meeting you agreed that it would be useful to link investment or transformation to demonstratable results.
B Peters
Chair
On behalf of the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel