The Government has announced an increase in funding for both Derbyshire Police and Derbyshire councils.
Local authorities across the country are set to receive a substantial increase in their budgets as they are set to receive a share of an additional £49.2 billion being allocated for local government funding. This increase represents a 4.4% real-term increase and is the largest year-on-year increase in real terms in over a decade.
As part of the funding, Derby City Council is set to receive an additional £12.2 million and Derbyshire County Council is to receive an additional £36.7 million. This represents a 6.7% and 7.4% increase respectively.
Funding for key public services will be protected, with significant extra resources dedicated to areas where they are needed most.
The latest Local Government Finance Settlement, which was confirmed by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick 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.
The Police are also set to receive an increase in funding.
Derbyshire Police Force will receive an additional £13.5 million increase in their budget, which is an increase of 7.5%. This 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 the policing system 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 Derbyshire Police Force set to receive an initial 85 officers by the end of this year.
The increases have been welcomed by local MP, Amanda Solloway. Solloway, who took back the seat of Derby North for the Conservatives at the last general election, said:
“I am delighted that this Government has increased funding for both police and the council in my area. It shows that the Conservatives are committed to delivering on the things that people actually care about, like making our streets safer.
This is the second year that the Government has issued a record-breaking increase to police funding.
I was particularly disappointed that not a single Labour MP bothered to vote in favour of making funding available to the police system last year. It calls into question their desire to bring down crime.
The increase in local government funding shows the Conservatives are keeping their promises to improve services across the country without slapping on painful taxes. Regardless of where you are in the country, the Conservatives are determined to improve everybody’s quality of life.