The Home Office has published online how much each police force last paid for selected items, allowing you to compare their spending and the level of collaboration among forces on their procurement and purchases.
The data includes equipment (such as laptops and desktop computers) and services (such as DNA tests, interpreters, and car hire by the day and month).
The release is part of what the Government calls its ‘transparency agenda’. Variations in prices for similar items between forces may indicate the Home Office says potential opportunities for savings, although the information does not take into account ongoing work that police forces routinely undertake to reduce costs and make further efficiency savings.
The items included are: DNA test, toxicology test, mobile phone examination, forensic stain analysis, credit report, temporary staff – administrator, hire car one day hire, hire car 30-day hire, standard office white copier paper, telephone interpretation – including call recording (Monday to Friday working hours), face to face interpreter (Monday to Friday working hours) – excluding mileage and expenses, standard office cleaning – excluding specialist cleaning (Force average), gas – Police HQ, laptop PC, desktop PC, monitor 19”, monitor 21”, telecom call charges – local peak times.
Brandon Lewis, Minister for Policing and the Fire Service, said: “This information is a key part of making our police forces more accountable to the public through greater transparency. Thanks to this and last year’s releases, it is clear that savings are being made due to greater collaboration, but the police must go further still to deliver greater savings for the taxpayer. It is absolutely essential that broad and deep collaboration within police procurement is the rule, not the exception. Police forces must continue to use their resources more efficiently by working together and PCCs must hold chief constables to account for this.”
Last year the police in England and Wales spent around £2.2bn on goods and services. The Government says that increased transparency on the costs of essential items will help police chiefs consider opportunities for further efficiency savings and make the police more accountable to the taxpayer. The force-by-force comparison can be found at: https://www.police.uk/procurement/services/dna-test/.
