MP backs police calls for a fairer deal for Cumbria

Local MP Tim Farron, Liberal Democrats spokesman on Home Affairs has today stated his support for the Cumbria Police Authority's call for a fairer deal in the way Government funding is distributed. The Government is in the process of reviewing the allocation of funds to a given area, and this could result in a significant reduction in funds for the police in Cumbria.

If sparsity of population was used as the indicator for funding, rather than being at the bottom of the funding list, Cumbria would be at the top. Mr Farron has supported the Cumbria Police Authority in questioning the wisdom of using a method which relies only on population number, rather than spread.

Tim Farron said:

"The method of allocating funding to police authorities is clearly not as efficient as it should be. In a case like this where public protection is at stake, it is important that the Government examines the methods it uses when distributing funds.

"I wholeheartedly back the Police Authority, that was yesterday named among the top three best performing forces in the country, in this call."