09 October 2007
The Government is publishing today departmental budgets and priorities for the next three financial years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.
The Government has increased spending on public order and safety by over 50 per cent in real terms over the last decade. The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Law Officers' Departments all received early CSR settlements locking in the significant funding increases of the last decade and giving them early certainty to plan their long term strategies.
The Home Office's budget, settled in Budget 2006, will be maintained in real terms over the Comprehensive Spending Review period. The announcement today adds, over £220 million additional resources per year by 2010-11 for counter terrorism and security taking real growth in the department's total budget to over 1% per year over the CSR07 period
The Ministry of Justice settlement provides over £9.7bn per annum by 2010-11 which includes resources which will help fund the Government's programme to deliver 9,500 new prison places by 2012. £100m of modernisation funding will help deliver a modernised courts service and a sustainable legal aid system.
The Law Officers' Departments settlement reflects ambitious value for money reforms. After new investment to implement the recommendations from the Fraud Review, it provides an overall budget that reduces by 3.2 per cent per year in real terms over the CSR07 period. This settlement provides the resources to maintain the Departments' contributions to key cross - Criminal Justice System programmes including the new Victim Focus, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system, recover criminal assets and provide high quality legal advice.
These settlements, along with efficiency and effectiveness improvements, provide resources for:
- the Home Office to lead more effectively the cross Government effort to reduce the risk of international terrorism in the UK;
- delivering the new crime strategy with a stronger focus on serious violence and more freedom and flexibility for local partners and the frontline;
- investment of over £11million per year by 2010-11 to establish a new National Fraud Strategic Authority, Lead Police Force and National Fraud Reporting Centre to strengthen our efforts in tackling fraud;
- a robust approach to serious and violent offenders with 9,500 new prison places, of which 8,500 will be in place by 2012;
- delivering the new alcohol strategy focusing on the groups which cause the most harm and a new drugs strategy to be published in April 2008 to improve prevention and treatment;
- investment in neighbourhood policing to ensure it is embedded across the country, enabling forces to better respond to local concerns, increase intelligence and build up trust; and
- managed migration, harnessing its benefits whilst further securing our borders with increased investment in a new e-Borders system to count people in and out of the country and implementation of a new points-based migration system that will ensure Britain gets the skilled migrants it needs for economic growth.
The Secretary of State for Justice said:
"This settlement will help us put in place the foundations upon which the Ministry of Justice will be able to build after its creation earlier this year.
"A great effort will be put in to deliver 3% efficiency savings while also ensuring that we deliver our core objectives - of which ensuring delivering effective justice is key.
"The further £100m funding will enable us deliver on our modernisation programme. This is in addition to funding for 500 prison places."
The Home Secretary said:
"I am pleased with the Home Office settlement, especially the additional resources granted to enhance security and strengthen the fight against terrorism. The public expect more from public services in tackling crime, alcohol and drug abuse, security, antisocial behaviour and managing migration. With this funding and our ambitious value for money programme we will be able to invest in improving performance, rolling out neighbourhood policing and delivering our major projects, including E-borders and identity cards."
The Attorney General said:
"This settlement demonstrates the priority the Government gives to tackling fraud, an issue that has had too low a priority in the past. I look forward to leading the work in establishing the National Fraud Strategic Authority and ensuring effective and holistic partnership working across the public and private sectors. Overall, the Law Officers' Departments' strategy will be to maximise value by co-operating with Criminal Justice System colleagues to streamline the criminal justice process; to improve the way we offer services that communities, victims and witnesses need from prosecutors; and to improve the quality of legal advice we provide. I am confident of the dedication of my Departments to meet the challenge."
Notes for Editors
1. On 9 May 2007, the Ministry of Justice was created, which consists of the former Department for Constitutional Affairs together with the National Offender Management Service and Office for Criminal Justice Reform, which moved from the Home Office. This brought together many of the organisations, agencies and stakeholders who have to work together to deliver a successful justice system, within one ministry.
2. The National Fraud Strategic Authority will be developed by the Attorney General's Office. The City of London police will lead on delivering the National Fraud Reporting Centre. The Fraud Review was published in 2006. Further information
3. The Home Office crime strategy
4. The Victim Focus initiative provides families of homicide victims with greater level of support from prosecutors
Table
For further details of Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Law Officers' Departments settlements and Departmental Strategic Objectives over the CSR07 period, please see The 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review: Meeting the aspirations of the British people
The Government today announced 30 cross-departmental Public Service Agreements, setting out the top priorities for the CSR07 period. Further details on these
Further media enquiries should be made to the Home Office press office on 020 7035 3535, Ministry of Justice press office on 020 7210 8692, or the Law Officers' Departments press office on 020 7271 2465 or 2440.