Diolch, Llywydd. Today I'm presenting to this Senedd, 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 2022-23. First, and particularly given the events of the past two years, I'd like to record my gratitude to the police for the role they've played in keep our communities safe whilst maintaining the highest standards of duty and dedication.

The core funding for the police in Wales is delivered through a three-way arrangement involving the Home Office, the Welsh Government and council tax. As policing policy and operational matters are non-devolved, the overall funding picture is determined and driven by Home Office decisions. We have maintained the established approach to setting and distributing the Welsh Government component based on the principle of ensuring consistency and fairness across England and Wales.

There are three technical and administrative changes to the funding arrangements this year. These result largely from Home Office decisions and have minimal practical implications for PCCs in Wales. Since the 2015 comprehensive spending review, the Home Office has made an annual transfer of funding to the Welsh Government in order for us to deliver our agreed contribution to police funding. From 2022-23 onwards, this transfer will end and the funding will be delivered by the Home Office through the police grant and top-up grant. This will result in the Welsh Government contribution to policing reducing by just under £30 million to £113.5 million, although there is no impact on the overall level of funding for police forces as a result.

Secondly, in order to facilitate a smoother transition towards partial non-domestic rates retention for city and growth deal regions, a technical adjustment has been made to the composition of the Welsh Government's contribution to police funding. This amendment sees the proportion of NDR that police forces receive reducing from 5 per cent to 0.1 per cent, with the revenue support grant increasing to offset this reduction. Again, this is a technical change that will not result in any loss of funding for any police force.

Finally, the Home Office has taken the decision to transfer funding for special branch to transfer funding for special branch out of the police main grant to the counter-terrorism policing grant in line with the 2021-22 budget. As the total amount being transferred is based on forces' 2021-22 budget, and will remain at that level for 2022-23, the transfer will have a zero net impact for police forces.

As outlined in my announcement of 2 February, the total unhypothecated revenue support for the police service in Wales for 2022-23 stands at £432 million before the adjustment made for the special branch transfer. The Welsh Government's contribution to this amount is £113.5 million, and it is this spending that you're being asked to approve today. As in previous years, the Home Office has overlaid its needs-based formula with a floor mechanism. This means that, for 2022-23, PCCs across England and Wales will all receive an increase in funding of 5.9 per cent when compared with 2021-22 before the adjustment made for the special branch transfer. The Home Office will provide top-up grant totalling £62.9 million to ensure all four Welsh police forces meet the floor level.

The motion for today's debate is to agree the local government finance report for PCCs, which has been laid before the Senedd. If approved, this will allow the commissioners to confirm their budgets for the next financial year, and I ask Senedd Members to support this motion. Diolch.