MR FOLEY (Your Say, January 20 2016) raises the question of why local council taxpayers should pick up the shortfall generated by cuts in central government funding.

In his statement in December, the Chancellor said that that now was not the time for cutting police expenditure but the Home Office grant funding flowing from that statement assumes that PCCs will increase the precept in order to balance that budget.

This statement applied to the rest of the term of this government and therefore presupposes a year-on-year increase of 2 per cent for the next four years.

The alternative is to continue to sustain further cuts to police funding on top of the 20 per cent cuts which have already been absorbed over the last three years.

This effectively uses up all scope available to PCCs to develop new services where there is a cost attached.

In reality, we shall continue to drive out efficiency savings and these will be used to meet the costs of addressing emerging threats rather than meeting further funding cuts.

Mr Foley is quite correct to point out that this reflects a government policy to shift the cost burden from central funding to local taxpayers.

Martyn Underhill

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner