Crime Reduction Programme
BCU Fund Guidance - Administrative addendum
Home
Office Circular 12/2003 sets out allocations to
Basic Command Units and the criteria for spend of the
BCU Fund over the 3 years from 2003 2004 to 2005
-2006. The purpose of this addendum is to outline the
administrative arrangements for making grant payments
and the reporting requirements. Home Office Directors
(formerly known as Crime Reduction Directors) in the
Regions and Wales may vary the reporting arrangements
according to local requirements.
The grant will be paid in quarterly instalments to
Police Authorities in each of the 43 police force areas
in England and Wales. Force Finance Directors will be
responsible for ensuring that appropriate local
management controls are in place and that grant monies
are expended for the purposes they are intended,
including complying with arrangements agreed locally for
reporting to the Police Authority . They will make
payments to Basic Command Units in accordance with the
allocations set out in Home Office Circular 12/2003.
Basic Command Units are required to submit, to the
Government Office or National Assembly for Wales, an
individual activity plan showing what they intend to
deliver with the funding, and that they have the
agreement of the Crime and Disorder Reduction
Partnership(s). The plans, which should be compatible
with the local policing plan, should also be provided to
the Police Authority and the Chief Constable. In 2004
2005 and 2005 2006 the plan should be
accompanied by a brief report (no more than one side of
A4) on what has been achieved with the fund in the
previous year.
The first quarter's payment
for 2003 2004, and subsequent years, will be made as
soon as is practicable after 1 April 2003 to Police
Authorities. Force Finance Directors should release the
first quarter's payment to individual Basic Command
Units following notification from Home Office Directors
(or a member of their teams) in the Government Offices
in the regions in England, and the National Assembly of
Wales. The trigger for the release of funds will be
receipt of an agreed plan (as above), in the Government
office and National Assembly that meets, to the
satisfaction of Home Office Directors, the requirements
of the funding criteria.
Payments for 2003 2004, and in future years, will
subsequently be made on a quarterly basis in July (25%
of grant), October (25%) and January (25%). Force
Finance Directors should make
applications for grant to Government Offices and the
National Assembly using the attached form.
The Home Office may reduce the level of grant payable
to Police Authorities in year for the following
reasons:
- Where BCUs have not submitted the required
activity plan, as outlined in paragraph 3 above by
the end of June - a deduction of 10% of the relevant
BCUs' total allocations will be made automatically.
- Where BCUs' actual spend is significantly behind
the expected spend profile and is unlikely to
recover in-year then deductions may be made from
BCUs' allocations.
The BCU Fund should be spent as part of an overall
plan to deliver Partnerships' strategies and the local
policing plan, and should be allocated in a strategic
way rather than on a piece meal basis. Police
Authorities and Chief Constables will wish to put in
place appropriate monitoring mechanisms to provide them
with assurance that this is the case. BCUs should use
the funding effectively and in the year in which it is
allocated. Police Authorities are able to make
particular arrangements to carry over funding from one
financial year to the next in their reserves. In the
case of the BCU fund, police Authorities may carry over up
to 5% of the individual BCU allocation in reserves.
If carry over exceeds this amount then BCUs' allocations
may be adjusted by a corresponding sum in the subsequent
financial year.
Chief Constables should sign
and return the grant conditions to the Home Office
Director in their Government Office and the National
Assembly of Wales.
Funding for Basic Command Units will be externally
audited. The Home Office will send out audit forms in
July 2004 covering BCU spend in the financial year 2003
- 2004. The force's chief financial officer and external
auditor will need to certify that the figures shown for
expenditure by BCUs are correct.
No further Home Office circulars on the BCU Fund will
be issued. Assistance
is available from the Home Office Directors and the
Crime Reduction Teams in the Government Offices and the
National Assembly of Wales. Information about what
works in crime reduction is available on the Crime
Reduction Website.
Further information about this circular can be
obtained from Wayne Jones in the Crime Reduction
Delivery Team on 020 7035 5224, email
wayne.jones@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Home Office
20 March 2003
Annex A: Progress Report &
Quarterly Grant Claim Form
A hard copy of the completed form should
be sent to the Crime Reduction Team, Government Office
within seven days of the end of the quarter.
Annex B: Grant Conditions
Date modified: 25 April 2003
Review date: March 2004
Originator: Home Office Crime Reduction
Partnerships & Programmes Unit
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