Spending Review 2000
18 July 2000
SR2000/HO
New resources to fight crime
Extra resources are announced today to boost the Government's fight against crime.
Overall police spending is planned to rise by 3.8 per cent a year in real terms over the next three years, almost £1.6 billion more in 2004 than it is today. This will strengthen the police's ability to prevent crime and catch offenders and ensure that the public feel safer on the streets and in their homes.
Welcoming the new spending plans, Jack Straw, the Home Secretary said:
"This settlement is excellent news for the fight against crime. Law and order is a top priority for the Government. The new spending plans demonstrate our determination to buck the trend of increases in crime."
The extra investment for the police will ensure that they are able to benefit from new secure radio systems and from DNA technology to help further in the fight against crime. The Government is setting tough targets for burglary to fall by a quarter and car crime by nearly a third.
Prison capacity will be increased with further prison places being provided to deal with increases in offenders brought to justice. The Prison Service will also have the resources it needs to ensure that those sentenced to imprisonment by the courts are held securely and made to confront their criminal behaviour.
Re-offending rates are also set to reduce. Offenders, whether punished by imprisonment or in the community, will have to deal with their offending and in particular develop the basic literacy and numeracy skills without which they are ineligible for the vast majority of law-abiding employment. Those offenders with drug problems will receive the support of additional treatment programmes.
Targets for efficiency gains have also been announced to ensure best value for money for the taxpayer. Prison and probation services will have to make 3 per cent efficiency gains each year. A new model developed by the Productivity Panel will calculate the improvements each individual police force will have to make to match the performance of the best. The performance of individual police Basic Command Units will also be monitored and the best will be rewarded from a new central £5 million Reward Fund.
Integrated working across the Criminal Justice System will be facilitated by a new joint fund of £525 million to be shared between the Home Office, the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Crown Prosecution Service. This fund will be allocated according to priorities agreed between the Departments amongst the issues cutting across their respective criminal justice responsibilities. There will also be a total investment of £600 million in integrated criminal justice IT systems and spending as a whole on the Criminal Justice System will grow in real terms by 4.2 per cent per year.
Andrew Smith, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury said:
"I am delighted that thanks to our careful management of the public finances we have been able to afford these major increases in law and order spending. The resulting reductions in crime will make our communities healthier and more secure."
Notes for editors
1. The 2000 Spending Review provides the following increases:
| 2000/1 | Increases | ||||
Baseline £m | 2001/2 £m | 2002/3 £m | 2003/4 £m | ||
| Home Office Totals(1) | 8171 | 1425 | 2104 | 2442 | |
2. Police spending (which includes contributions from the local Government finance system) will rise by:
| 2000/1 | Increases | ||||
Baseline £m | 2001/2 £m | 2002/3 £m | 2003/4 £m | ||
| Police Spending | 7718 | 777 | 1292 | 1575 | |
3. The Home Office Public Service Agreement includes targets for reductions in crime and in re-offending and for increasing offenders brought to justice.
4. For more details contact the Home Office press office on 020 7273 4640 (Constitution and Community Relations desk), 020 7273 4600 (Criminal Justice desk), or 020 7273 4610 (Police desk).