Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Police Service of Northern Ireland on (a) staffing levels, (b) recruitment challenges and (c) plans to address workforce shortages.

A well staffed and resourced PSNI is vital to the success and stability of Northern Ireland. I regularly engage with the Chief Constable and Justice Minister on issues of shared interest and concern.

The UK Government’s Autumn budget delivered a record £18.2 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive in FY 2025/26 – the largest settlement in real terms in the history of devolution.

Policing in Northern Ireland, apart from national security, is a devolved matter and the allocation of budget to the PSNI is a matter for the Northern Ireland Department of Justice (DoJ). I am aware that the DoJ is continuing to work closely with the Chief Constable and his team to build a robust case for the funding required to recover workforce numbers over the course of the current mandate.

We continue to support the PSNI and recognising the unique security situation in Northern Ireland, the UK Government will provide the PSNI with £37.8 million in Additional Security Funding in 2025/26, an increase from c£32m a year.