Federation reaction to Chancellor's announcement about dept savings in 2010/11
This morning the Chancellor, George Osborne, together with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Laws, have set out how they plan to tackle the country's deficit. All government departments will feel the squeeze, but the two most relevant to us are:
- Home Office: savings of £367 million to be made in 2010/11
- Ministry of Justice: savings of £325 million to be made in 2010/11
We do not have any further precise detail about the specifics of the savings, but have issued the following broad media statement in reaction to the announcement:
Simon Reed, Vice-Chariman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, says:
"We appreciate the serious financial situation the country is in and the difficult decisions the new coalition government face, making savings where possible. At our annual conference last week we were assured by the Police Minister, Nick Herbert, that the government will do all possible to preserve front line services and today's announcement appears to honour that commitment. It was particularly reassuring to hear the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Laws, say that one of the key objectives is to 'protect the vital public services which we all depend upon.' The core business of policing is for police officers to be available in sufficient numbers wherever and whenever required; I believe this is what the public rightly want and expect and it is the duty of government to ensure that any future cuts do not compromise the resilience and capability of the police to provide an effective 24/7 service to all communities."
Forwarded for your information.
Regards
Metin Enver
Head of Communications
The Police Federation of England and Wales
