A London-based Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre has been announced as part of the UK Government’s Spending Review 2020. This will bring what the Treasury calls the UK Intelligence Community, counter-terrorism policing and other parts of the criminal justice system into one location. What the review calls a new, fully integrated approach will improve speed of response, the Treasury says.
The Government is to trial in five places across England and Wales what it calls a whole-system response to tackling drug use through joining up of local law enforcement agencies, prisons and health and social care services. For details of the review, visit the Treasury website.
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At the defence trade body ADS, Chief Executive Paul Everitt said: “The UK needs a strong economic recovery and our industries welcome the Government’s additional defence and security funding, support for green aircraft technology and flexibility for apprenticeship programmes.
“Greater funding is being made available to support R&D programmes and supply chain competitiveness next year. We look forward to working with the Department for Business to ensure this best supports the small businesses our sectors depend on and delivers increased investment through the Aerospace Technology Institute.
“Many supply chain companies are facing a struggle to survive. It is disappointing the Government has not chosen to offer long-term capital investment in supply chains, which would help minimise the loss of high-value jobs and skills, and sustain their ability to invest in future technology.”
Met Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, called the CT ops centre ‘a genuinely historic milestone’. He said: “Counter Terrorism Policing and our national security partners have always had a close and effective working relationship, but being co-located is an opportunity for us to take that one step further, and will only improve our ability to protect the UK and its citizens.
“This has been a complex project we have all been working on delivering for some time, and really demonstrates there are no party politics in protecting the public. I’d like to echo the Commissioner’s words of thanks to the government and the Mayor of London, whose joint support in making the Counter Terrorism Operations Centre a reality means the UK will be a safer place.”
As for the police, they are subject to the public sector pay freeze. For the rank and file police body the Police Federation national chair John Apter called it ‘a kick in the teeth for police officers’.
“This year my colleagues have been on the frontline in the battle against COVID-19, protecting the public and putting their own safety and the safety of their families at risk. Despite the warm words and the weekly applause for key workers, it seems to count for nothing.
“We are realists; we know that the country is facing a difficult economic future. But rewarding those who have played a vital role in the fight against the virus with a pay freeze is nothing short of a disgrace.
“A handful of officers will get the additional £250 for the lowest paid workers, but only those who are already on an appallingly low starting salary for the dangerous job they do.
“I appreciate the devil will be in the detail, but the headlines from today’s announcement does nothing to show appreciation to police officers and other public sector workers who have kept the wheels turning during 2020.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) chair Martin Hewitt said: “We understand the significant challenges the government faces in addressing both the costs of managing the pandemic and the associated economic impact.
“We are pleased to see the government’s commitment to the uplift programme for the recruitment of 20,000 new police officers. The funding announced today will enable us to recruit, train and equip up to 6,000 new officers in the next year, in addition to the planned 6,000 for this year.
“The growth in officer numbers will help us to tackle crime and ensure public safety, and we expect funding for the remaining 8,000 officer uplift to continue beyond the period covered by this spending review. However, a flat cash settlement will leave forces with some very difficult decisions to make about where to find savings and how to ensure the uplift in officer numbers can be sustained.
“Police forces have made substantial savings and delivered reform over the past several years, at the same time as managing increasing demand. We will continue to keep innovating and making the best use of our resources. Some of the required savings may be achievable through initiatives such as forces collaborating to reduce costs and improve commercial activities. We will work closely with government on how we can prioritise these.
“It is obviously disappointing for most officers and staff to learn that their pay will stand still in the year ahead, although this reflects the challenging financial position across the public and private sector. It is important to recognise that throughout 2020, police officers and staff have made a very significant contribution to public safety and police leaders have continually highlighted their dedication, hard work and resilience.
“As we have experienced in the past decade, sustained pay restraint can have wider impacts on the wellbeing of officers and staff, who work so hard to protect the public. We will continue to work with the Home Office and other partners to understand how today’s announcements impact on the police pay review process, and on how we can return to pay progress in future years after this pause.”
