Lucy Allan MP has welcomed confirmation that West Mercia Police and Telford & Wrekin Council will see funding increase next year, demonstrating the Conservative Government’s commitment to deliver on the people’s priorities and level up across the country.
West Mercia Police will receive a funding increase of up to £16.1 million, a 7.3% boost that will ensure police officers have the resources they need to tackle crime and keep our streets safe.
This increase is part of the £1.1 billion funding boost for police forces across England and Wales, the biggest increase in a decade that could take total funding for policing up to £15.2 billion.
The funding increase includes £150 million to fight organised crime and online child abuse, £39 million to tackle serious violence including cracking down on county lines drug dealing, and a £90 million increase for counter-terrorism policing to help protect our streets.
The funding boost follows the Conservatives’ plan to recruit an extra 20,000 police officers by 2023, with West Mercia Police set to receive an initial 93 officers by the end of this year.
Telford & Wrekin Council will also see its budget increased by 7.1% this year, part of the Conservatives’ commitment to level up local services across the country.
Local authorities across the country, including Telford & Wrekin, will receive a share of £49.2 billion local government funding this year – a 4.4 per cent real terms increase and the largest year-on-year real terms increase in a decade.
Funding for key public services will be protected, with significant extra resources dedicated to areas where they are needed most. Thanks to the investment being made by the Conservative Government, Telford & Wrekin Council will have an extra £9.3 million to spend this year.
The latest Local Government Finance Settlement, which was confirmed by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP in February, includes an additional £1.5 billion for social care. When added to the existing social care package, local authorities will now have access to over £5.5 billion of dedicated funding across adult and children’s social care in 2020-21.
Commenting, Lucy Allan MP said:
“I am delighted that thanks to the Conservative Government, funding for West Mercia Police and Telford & Wrekin Council will increase significantly. And there is extra funding for Social Care which is something we have long campaigned for and is much needed locally. This additional funding will help us to deliver on people’s priorities – with more money for our police to keep our communities and our streets safe, and additional funding for councils so they can deliver the vital services our communities depend upon.
At last year’s general election, we committed to levelling up every part of the United Kingdom – and this record funding boost will do just that. This great news for Telford. It ensures that Telford will feel the full benefits of that election promise.”
