Police Grant in Scotland: Problems of Control and Accountability in the Reformed System
| Author | Murray McVicar,Arthur Midwinter |
| Published date | 01 January 1999 |
| Date | 01 January 1999 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X9907200106 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
ARTHUR MIDWINTER
MURRAY McVICAR
Department
of
Government, University
of
StrathcJyde, Glasgow
POLICE GRANT IN SCOTLAND:
PROBLEMS OF CONTROL AND
ACCOUNTABILITY
IN THE REFORMED SYSTEM
The
Police Grant System
For nearly 20 years, expenditure on policing has been a priority in
government budgeting. New Labour, however, has made an explicit
commitment to make education and health its priorities. In this article,
we consider the implications of this policy shift for policing in practice,
in the context of the reforms to police grant.
Police expenditure has a large element of staff costs. Some 77%
covers police salaries, and a further 16% are staff-related costs,
including pensions and housing allowances. Only 7% is incurred
through police operating costs, and the annual capital costs amount to
less than one %of total current expenditure. Policing the community is
a labour-intensive exercise.
Police current expenditure, therefore, provides instant benefit to
communities, and is funded mainly by police grant and council tax.
Police capital expenditure on buildings and technology provides a flow
of
benefits over a number
of
years, and is funded mainly by public
borrowing, with repayment over a number of years. Capital allocations
are made to police authorities by the Secretary of State. The financial
powers of the Secretary
of
State are to restrict the expenditure of
individual local authorities - but not police authorities, although he
could in theory withhold payment of police grant if the police authority
is not providing an 'efficient' police force. In practice, this power acts
as a deterrent rather than an instrument of control.
In the case of current expenditure, the amounts to be spent are
determined by police authorities. However, in the determination of the
annual local governance finance settlement, a Grant-Aided Expenditure
total is defined for all services, including the Police. Grant-Aided
Expenditure (GAE) represents the Government's assessment of
councils' spending needs.' Each council's GAE represents the level of
expenditure (excluding loan and leasing charges) which is supported by
central government grant - providing grant at 51 %of GAE in the case
of
police expenditure. The distribution of police grant between
authorities is based mainly on police manpower levels, with a small
January 1999 The Police Journal 47
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