The right hon. Member questions the Government's claim of increased policing, pointing out that despite additional funding, County Durham will have fewer officers than in 2010 and faces an increase in local council tax to support policing.

The hon. Member highlights that while there are more police officers overall, some forces face cuts in back-office staff due to the ringfenced funding for frontline officers, resulting in new officers taking on administrative roles instead of public-facing duties.

The right hon. Member points out that while overall police numbers are at a historical high, this does not mean an even distribution across all forces; generally, those with Conservative PCCs benefit more from decisions made over the previous decade.

The right hon. Member calls for a review of the funding formula to ensure fair distribution to rural areas, emphasising sparsity, rurality, distances travelled, public service delivery, and maintaining public confidence.

The hon. Member requests a meeting with the Minister to discuss the specific funding difficulties faced by Bedfordshire in tackling organised crime gangs, despite relying on special grant funding for over five years.

The hon. Member requests that the Minister raise with the Home Secretary a letter sent by Wirral MPs and the Merseyside PCC regarding increased crime in the area, seeking more support for their communities.

The hon. Member points out that despite the Minister's claim of effective use of resources by Conservative PCCs, Lancashire is seeing a fall in police community support officers and an increase in local council tax with no corresponding improvement in service quality.

The hon. Member supports the Minister's stance, praising the Conservative PCC for Lancashire for effectively using resources to tackle county lines and antisocial behaviour, contrary to criticism from Labour MPs.

Critiques the shift in funding from central to local taxation, highlighting that now only 33% of funding comes from central Government while 67% is raised locally. Expresses concern over precepts needing to be raised by £15, which disproportionately affects low-paid, unemployed and minimum wage workers.

Condemned the Government’s failure to invest properly in policing, pointing out that core grant funding is down £134 million after adjusting for inflation. Criticised the unfair distribution of funds affecting deprived areas most and called for a fairer funding formula. Highlighted the decline in neighbourhood policing, rising crime rates, and mental health crises faced by police forces.

Responded to criticisms about economic management with statistics showing UK had highest GDP growth in G7 both in 2021 and 2022.

Asked Labour what they would do regarding council tax increases for police funding and how they would fund additional policing needs.

Highlighted the issue of insufficient capital funding for projects like a firearms training centre, indicating a need for £58 million in revenue funding due to lack of capital allocation.

Stressed that efficiency savings are not enough to fill the funding gap and praised Durham Constabulary's efficiency while criticising the unfairness of the current funding formula.

Pointed out that policing issues in Scotland impact England and Wales as criminals do not respect borders, indicating a need for better cross-border cooperation.

Agreed with the concerns about police morale, citing a Police Federation survey showing low respect from the Government towards police forces.

Expressed concern over the national police funding formula, highlighting that it is unfair to Bedfordshire and other forces. Advocated for a timely resolution of the funding issue as it does not reflect the complex crime picture in his area. Noted reliance on special grants which are critical for financial stability but urged against tapering these grants before reform. Praised the increase in police officers in Bedfordshire, with 1,403 currently employed and 401 being student officers. Requested restoration of 24/7 first response officers to certain towns. Highlighted variability in precept contributions across different forces, indicating a need for fairness in the funding formula.

Thanked those working in the police forces and criticised the Minister for his approach to policing funding. Emphasised that the Government's levelling up initiative focuses on capital projects rather than addressing issues like police resource distribution, which has worsened over 13 years. Highlighted the regressive nature of council tax precepts affecting poorer communities more severely. Called out discrepancies in the funding formula where deprived areas receive less funding despite higher crime levels and fewer properties in higher council tax bands. Criticised the Government's claim to increase police numbers, noting that Durham will actually end up with fewer officers than in 2010. Highlighted inefficiencies and historical knowledge loss due to officer replacements.

Paid tribute to President Zelensky and thanked Dorset police, praising the outgoing chief constable Scott Chilton and welcoming his replacement Amanda Pearson. Highlighted issues with the current funding formula, noting that it does not account for tourism in Dorset which contributes significantly to visitor numbers. Mentioned rurality as a key issue affecting funding allocations and expressed hope for positive changes from the ongoing review. Raised concerns over drug-related crime funding and high council tax precept contributions towards police forces, arguing for increased central government funding. Emphasised the importance of keeping local police stations open and advocated for Portland Island to retain its police station.

The speaker thanked the Government for their continued investment in policing, highlighting £287 million as an impressive figure. He praised Dorset's police force and its achievements under Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick, including the quadrupling of the rural crime team and the success of Operation Viper which involved significant drug seizures and arrests. Loder noted that while Dorset had risen from 40th to 28th in terms of funding allocation, the police grant report was starting to correct longstanding inequalities in per capita funding between different forces. He emphasised that 49% of Dorset's policing funding comes from local precepts, a significant proportion compared to other constabularies. Loder also pointed out the challenges faced by rural areas like West Dorset due to county lines drugs and population spikes during summer, arguing for a revised police funding formula to address these issues.

Jones intervened to challenge Loder's claims about Dorset being underfunded compared to other areas like Cleveland and Merseyside. He stated that Dorset ranks sixth in the funding league table, with a 4.2% increase, while Cleveland has only seen a 3.12% increase.

Rimmer intervened to discuss Merseyside's challenges related to drugs coming through the port and organised crime, questioning Loder about whether his area faces similar issues. She also highlighted that Merseyside police actively work outside their region to tackle such crimes.

Drax made a cheeky remark suggesting it would be more efficient if the Merseyside police apprehended criminals before they reached Dorset.

Greenwood, while not specifying her constituency or party, noted that Merseyside has lost 450 officers since 2010 and highlighted that local policing issues are also national concerns. She agreed with Rimmer's comments regarding the importance of addressing such issues.