Police hope to overturn capping

The authority is to hold an extraordinary public meeting

Surrey Police Authority (SPA) has said it hopes for a court hearing in the next few days as it seeks a judicial review of the government's budget cap.

MPs approved the cap on Surrey Police's budget for 2009/10 by 239 votes to 33 on Thursday despite the SPA's claim it will cost 50 frontline jobs.

SPA chairman Peter Williams said it hoped to overturn the decision by taking it to a judicial review.

"It is regrettable this situation has come to our last resort," he said.

The SPA has called an extraordinary public meeting at its headquarters in Mount Browne, Guildford on 17 July to finalise the new budget.

It has been told it must begin re-billing council taxpayers immediately, which it claims will cost £1.2m to save £1.6m.

However local government minister Rosie Winterton told the Commons that last year Lincolnshire Police Authority estimated a re-billing cost of £1m but the actual cost was £380,000.

When it comes to public services, the people of this county get a raw deal Peter Williams

Mr Williams said thousands of Surrey residents had spoken out against the capping and for frontline policing to be protected.

"The county that provides more in taxes to the government than any other receives less funding per head of population today than it did in 1997," he said.

He said it receives £93 per head of population, compared to £96 in 1997, which he said was "a real terms cut of 39%".

"Surrey residents are bankrolling public services elsewhere in the country, yet when it comes to their own public services, the people of this county get a raw deal," Mr Williams added.

"Under an extremely tough budget, Surrey Police is already losing 144 jobs this year. Capping adds a further 50 front line posts to this figure."

'Excessive increase'

The Home Office said in a statement that Surrey Police's funding had not been cut but that its grant had been increased to £101.8m.

"We are satisfied that the authority can live within the budget requirement we have set for it.

"But we must also protect council taxpayers from excessive increases, and Surrey Police Authority has imposed an excessive increase for two years running.

"We made it clear we would not hesitate to take the necessary capping action if it continued with those increases."