The Government should benchmark recruitment plans under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to ensure that, while flexibility for forces to recruit is maintained, minimum numbers for the recruitment of police officers can be set by the Home Office if required, or more flexibility in funding provided if forces cannot meet their staffing needs through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. (Recommendation, Paragraph 58) The political response

The Government should benchmark recruitment plans under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to ensure that, while flexibility for forces to recruit is maintained, minimum numbers for the recruitment of police officers can be set by the Home Office if required, or more flexibility in funding provided if forces cannot meet their staffing needs through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. (Recommendation, Paragraph 58) The political response Type: recommendation | Number: 17 | Response status: partially_accepted Government response: For the purposes of funding and conditions for the neighbourhood policing programme, the local base for each force is set as at March 2025. We have been working closely with policing to develop the neighbourhood policing programme. Our approach to delivery in 2025/26, which is year 1 of a multiple y