I'm today presenting to the Assembly for its approval details of the Welsh Government's contribution to the core revenue funding for the four police and crime commissioners in Wales for 2018 to 2019, but before I do so, Deputy Presiding Officer, I'd like to pay tribute to all the men and women who serve in our police forces, and I hope that I'll be joined on all sides of the Chamber in paying tribute to the work that is done by police forces across Wales, keeping our communities safe, maintaining the highest standards of duty, dedication, and, at times, bravery, in maintaining the community safety matters that are within the settlement for this place.

Members will be aware that the core funding for police in Wales is delivered through a three-way arrangement involving the Welsh Government, the Home Office and through council tax. As policing policy and operational matters are not yet devolved, the overall funding picture is determined and driven by the Home Office. The established approach to setting and distributing the Welsh Government component has therefore been based on the principle of ensuring consistency and fairness across Wales. As outlined in the final police settlement announcement on 31 January, the total unhypothecated revenue support for the police service in Wales for 2018-19 amounts to £350 million. The Welsh Government's contribution to this amount through revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates is just over £140 million, and it is this funding, Deputy Presiding Officer, that you are being asked to approve today.

As in previous years, the Home Office has decided to overlay its needs-based formula with a floor mechanism. This means that, for 2018-19, police and crime commissioners will all receive a cash-flat settlement when compared with 2017-18. The Home Office will provide a top-up grant, totalling £3.7 million, to ensure that both Dyfed-Powys and the North Wales Police meet the floor level. I have to say, Deputy Presiding Officer, I'm extremely disappointed in this. We have seen not a single extra penny for our police forces, and this amounts to real-term cuts in police services across Wales. I think many of us who work alongside the police and admire the work of police forces across Wales will be disappointed that the Home Office, whilst promising warm words, does not promise and deliver additional funding for police forces and police and crime commissioners. I think people on all sides of this Chamber would want to see our police forces funded at an appropriate level. The settlement for 2018-19 will provide core central funding at the same level as the current year. PCCs will have the ability to raise additional funding through their council tax precept, and we've seen, again, the UK Conservative Government moving away from their own responsibility to fund our public services and placing additional burdens on taxpayers across Wales. This is not what the Welsh Government wishes to see. We wish to see our police forces funded at appropriate levels.

It is the responsibility of PCCs to set their precepts. Police and crime commissioners in Wales have the freedom to make their own decisions about council tax increases and are not subject to the limits that apply in England. In setting their element of council tax, I expect each PCC to act in a reasonable manner to take account of the pressures on hard-pressed households. We appreciate that difficult decisions are necessary in developing plans for the coming years. The Welsh Government is committed to working with PCCs and chief constables to ensure that funding challenges are managed in ways that minimise the impact on community safety in Wales. As a part of this, the Welsh Government, in its own 2018-19 budget, has made provision for a further two years of funding for the 500 additional community support officers recruited under the previous programme for government commitment. In total, Deputy Presiding Officer, £17 million is earmarked in the budget for next year for the continued delivery of this commitment. The full complement of officers has been deployed since October 2013, and they are making a positive contribution to public safety across Wales. A vital part of their role is actively engaging with partners and community organisations to address anti-social behaviour and related criminal activity, and they make an important contribution to preventative spend. The Welsh Government, working in partnership with the four Welsh police forces and British Transport Police, has introduced this additional resource, which is helping to make a real difference to the lives of the people of Wales.

Returning to the purpose of today's debate, the motion is to agree the local government finance report for police and crime commissioners, which has been laid before the Assembly. If approved, this will allow the commissioners to confirm their budget for the next financial year. But I would also wish to make the point, Deputy Presiding Officer, that I do not believe we have a satisfactory settlement on these matters. My intention is to move forward to create new policy and working arrangements in Wales, with our police forces, and to take forward policing and community safety and justice policy.

I hope that Members across the whole Chamber will support the motion this afternoon, but I hope that Members across the whole Chamber will also appreciate the great pressures facing our police forces. And I hope that Members across the Chamber will also support me in saying to the UK Conservative Government that all our police forces deserve better.