Agenda item

The Commissioner presented to the Panel his report on the proposed police precept for 2019/20. The Panel was advised that it could make the decision to either approve, reject, or veto the proposed precept at the meeting and thereafter had to issue a report on its decision to the Commissioner. The decision to approve or reject could be made by a simple majority while a veto vote had to be supported by a two-third majority of the entire Panel membership. This would imply that all ten Panel Members present at the meeting would have to support the veto. It was further advised that if the Panel chose to veto, the Commissioner would not be able to issue the proposed precept and would have to publish a response to the Panel’s report, indicating a different proposed precept, by the 15^th February 2019. The Panel would not be able to veto the revised proposed precept but could only decide to approve or reject it.

The Commissioner stated that the Mid Term Financial Plan assumed a reduction of £7.9m in the central grant but ultimately relied on a critical unknown figure as a new funding formula would come into effect in 2021/22. He emphasized that the Force had lost £14m (22%) in core funding since the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review and currently had the lowest precept levels in Wales. He advised that a previous decision to cut the precept by 5% and then freeze the precept had resulted in the use of reserves which had recently faced significant additional pressures from the Home Office pay settlement and the costs incurred in the investigation into the Llangammarch Wells fire.

The Commissioner stated that he had consulted with the public and discussed in detail the Chief Constable’s plans for staffing levels, police services and future investment needs in agreeing the Force’s budget for 2019/20. He advised that the core components of the budget had led to his recommendation of a police precept of £55.247m with an average Band D council tax property paying £248.56, a level that was 10.7% higher than the 2018/19 level. If accepted by the Panel, this would result in a total budget of £106.897m when combined with central and local funding.

The Commissioner’s statement was followed by a presentation on the Panel’s Scrutiny of the 2019/20 Police Precept report by the Panel’s financial lead.

Amongst the questions/issues raised on the Commissioner’s report were the following:

-        It was stated that the Commissioner’s proposal was recommending a very large precept increase which would have to be borne by a relatively small population of precept payers. The comparatively low wages and low economic activity in the Dyfed-Powys area might make it difficult for some individuals to raise this additional income.

-        A comment was made that the use of Band D as a sample band was misleading as the average band for properties in Powys was higher and some people would have to pay £56 per year in addition.

-        In response to a query on the potential impacts of a lower precept rate, the Commissioner advised that this could result in a freeze of staff recruitment, a reduction of Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers and a review of the capital investment programme into police stations.

-        Several comments were made proposing that the precept increase was acceptable in order to maintain good police services and safety in the Dyfed-Powys area, especially considering recent pressures on reserves.

RESOLVED that

8.1.    The Commissioner’sproposal to increase the Dyfed-Powys Police’s precept by 10.7% for 2019/20 be endorsed;

8.2.    That a note be send to the press explaining the reasoning behind the Panel’s decision.