Home Office provides funding to help cover costs of disturbances on Merseyside
Press release
Date: 4 January 2012For immediate release
Merseyside Police Authority can confirm that is has now received a response from the Home Office to our special grant application relating to the costs incurred by the Authority following the August disturbances.Operational costs
The Home Office has agreed to provide up to 85% of the final costs incurred by the Authority for the policing of the August disturbances, though we understand there will be an opportunity later in the year where Ministers will consider Home Office support beyond the 85%. Our original application was for £2,010,490and we will receive £1,708,916.Riot Damages Act costs
The Home Office has agreed to cover 100% of the costs associated with claims made to Merseyside Police Authority under the Riot Damages Act - both uninsured and insured claims. Our original special grant application estimated these costsat £828,227.This means that based on our original estimated claims, Merseyside Police Authority should receive £2.537m of our overall claim of £2.838m. As a result, theAuthority itself will have to finance £0.301m of the overall costs incurred.
Chairman of Merseyside Police Authority, Councillor Bill Weightman said:
"Merseyside Police Authority has been as open and accessible as possible to allow for all those members of the community and local businesses who have sustained losses in the recent disturbances to claim compensation, whether they were insured or not.
I am delighted that the Home Office has responded in this way to our special grant application, particularly in view of the current financial climate and cuts to funding from the Government"Ends
For more information contact:Merseyside Police Authority Communications Team: 0151 285 5511
