Policy paper

Home Office evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body 2023/24 pay round (accessible version)

Published 21 February 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

February 2023

I. Executive summary

1. The government recognises the bravery, commitment and professionalism of our police who work night and day to keep us safe and we will continue to give them the resources, tools and powers they need to protect the public.

2. The government is on track to deliver its manifesto commitment to recruit 20,000 additional officers by 31 March 2023, with 16,753 additional police officers recruited to 31 December 2022, making up 84% of the target.

3. The government has published a total police funding settlement of up to £17.2 billion for 2023/24, an increase of up to £287 million when compared to 2022/23. This includes: government grants to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs); flexibility for PCCs to raise additional money locally from council tax precept; funding for national priorities, such as tackling serious violence and county lines. Assuming full take up of precept flexibility, overall police funding available to PCCs will increase by up to £523 million (3.6% in cash terms) next year.

4. The Home Secretary’s remit letter refers the following matters to the PRRB in the 2023/24 pay round:

• How to apply the pay award for 2023/24 for police officers of all ranks, including chief officers.
• To consider proposals resulting from the review of chief officer remuneration.
• To provide further commentary and observations on benchmarking and the P-factor, and whether the points raised in the last pay round have been addressed.

5. The remit letter also notes the PRRB’s views on allowances set out in last year’s report and sets out that, as requested, the Home Office’s evidence will provide direction on how allowances should be considered as part of the overall remuneration package, while noting the wider context of pay for 2023/24.

II. Pay proposals

Economic context

6. Pay awards must strike a careful balance - recognising the vital importance of public sector workers, whilst delivering value for the taxpayer, considering private sector pay levels, not increasing the country’s debt further, and being careful not to drive prices even higher in the future. In the current economic context, it is particularly important that Pay Review Bodies have regard to the government’s inflation target when forming recommendations. The PRRB is asked to consider HM Treasury’s ‘Economic Evidence to the Pay Review Bodies: 2023-24 Pay Round’ ^{[footnote 1]} that sets out the economic, labour market and fiscal context when making its recommendations on pay awards for 2023/24.

7. HM Treasury’s evidence explains that Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation is forecast to have reached 11.1% in quarter four of 2022, with the primary driver of above-target inflation continuing to be global energy price increases. These increases represent a terms-of-trade shock to the UK that has made us unavoidably worse-off.

8. The OBR forecast that inflation has peaked and will now fall, averaging 5% over 2023/24 before turning negative in 2024/25. However, there are significant upside risks to inflation. High inflation is the key problem facing the UK economy and public finances. Policy makers are taking several steps to address this:

• The Bank of England are increasing interest rates to bring domestically generated cost pressures, namely nominal wage growth, down to levels consistent with their 2% inflation target.
• The government has set fiscal policy to provide more targeted support for vulnerable households, while ensuring that the public finances are on a sustainable path and contribute to macroeconomic stability – not pushing inflation higher in the short term, and debt falling as a share of GDP in the medium term.

9. In this context, it is important to note that public sector pay awards that are significantly above the private sector could contribute to risks of higher and more persistent inflation, by placing pressure on other parts of the economy to demand higher wages. This may require the Bank of England to raise interest rates even further.

10. The overall public sector remuneration package remains competitive, when taking account of pay, pensions and wider benefits including job security. Further detail on the remuneration package for police officers is provided in section V.

11. As set out in HM Treasury’s economic evidence to the Pay Review Bodies, public sector earnings growth should retain broad parity with the private sector and continue to be affordable. Median private sector pay settlements, the best comparator to Pay Review Body decisions, were 3.5% in the last quarter of 2021/22 and 4% in the first quarter of 2022/23. In 2022/23, police officers received a pay award of £1,900, equivalent to 5% overall. It is targeted at those on the lowest pay points to provide an uplift of up to 8.8%, and between 0.6% and 1.8% for those on the highest pay points.

12. There is not a forecast for settlements in 2023/24. The most comparable figure is the OBR forecast for average earnings growth, which is expected to fall to 3.5% as the labour market loosens. Average earnings growth has historically been higher than settlements, for reasons set out in HM Treasury’s economic evidence.

Basic pay

13. The government has published the police funding settlement for 2023/24. This settlement increases the funding available to PCCs by 3.6% and provides an increase in Government grant funding, as well as precept flexibility of £15 for 2023/24. Funding provided through the 2023/24 police funding settlement is higher than agreed at Spending Review 2021, which included a provisional assumption of a 2% per annum increase in police officer pay. To absorb the pressure created by the 2022/23 pay award, forces have been required to prioritise budgets and drive forward cashable efficiencies to fund the 2022/23 award, including reviewing staff vacancies, and increased collaboration between forces on procurement and corporate functions. To support forces in meeting the additional costs associated with this award, the Home Office is providing additional funding over this Spending Review period of at least £350 million (£70 million in 2022/23; £140 million in 2023/24; and £140 million in 2024/25). This additional funding was provided to ensure forces were able to recruit and maintain the additional 20,000 police officers.

14. Forces have previously indicated that a pay award above 2% for 2023/24 may be affordable. The Home Office continues to work with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) on assumptions on pay and other anticipated pressures. Considering the additional funding available from the police funding settlement for 2023/24, and forces seeking to maximise efficiencies, our current assessment is that there is scope for forces to budget up to a 3.5% pay award within the existing settlement.

15. Our assessment is predicated on forces utilising the full funding available them and maximising efficiencies. The impact and affordability of a pay award will vary by force, depending on individual force level pressures and the flexibility they have to manage this within their budget. Individual PCCs are responsible for setting a balanced budget and taking decisions to reprioritise and seek efficiencies to achieve this. In some cases, this will require trade-offs, for example reductions in staff and non-pay budgets in order to protect officer numbers. Our assessment assumes that all forces are maintaining officer numbers recruited as part of the Police Uplift Programme. The 2023/24 funding settlement provided additional precept flexibility of £15 for PCCs – this is a local decision to be considered by the PCC, taking in to account the views of the public – but makes available an additional £100m funding for police forces compared to the £10 precept flexibility secured at Spending Review 2021. An unfunded pay award above our affordability assessment is likely to significantly impact on forces’ ability to maintain officer numbers recruited as part of the Police Uplift Programme as forces reprioritise in order to meet both pay and non-pay pressures, effectively risking a reversal of the 20,000-officer uplift. We would likely see increased reverse civilianisation, as forces reduce the number of staff in specialist and back-office roles and replace them with officers. This is likely to reduce the effectiveness of policing by impacting frontline response and productivity. To avoid these consequences, an award above 3.5% would require an uplift to the police funding settlement.

16. Providing additional funding to forces to support the costs of the 2022/23 pay award has required difficult and challenging reprioritisation across the department, with impacts on our outcomes across crime reduction, other policing priorities, and other work across the Home Office. An uplift to the proposed police settlement would require further severe reprioritisation within the Home Office. This would have significant impacts on the outcomes that we can deliver for the public, including within forces, crime reduction programmes, centrally funded police technology and capabilities programmes, and the wider work of the Home Office. It would require further trade-offs in Home Office budgets, efficiencies in delivery, wider trade-offs for public service delivery or risking the fight against inflation through further Government borrowing at a time when headroom against fiscal rules is historically low and sustainable public finances are vital. We will undertake a further assessment of affordability when the PRRB submits its recommendations.

17. As highlighted in last year’s evidence, there continues to be anecdotal evidence about recruitment difficulties and increased attrition rates for some specialist roles. However, we have not received robust evidence about the nature of the problem and whether pay is an appropriate lever to address these issues. Leadership and talent, training and development, wellbeing and recognition are also important considerations. The NPCC’s ‘Strategic Assessment of Workforce’ will provide detail on the current composition of the workforce, identify skills gaps, and consideration of the recruitment challenges ahead. 7 This will help to determine whether pay awards or allowances should, in the future, be targeted at those with specific skills and expertise.

18. We recognise the PRRB’s continued concerns about requests to look at individual pay reform measures in isolation. As stated in previous evidence submissions, we expect proposals for changes to the pay structure to be presented as a coherent package for all ranks. Proposals to make changes to individual pay points in isolation must be supported by robust evidence that demonstrates why targeted interventions are required. The costs associated with any such proposals will need to be funded from within the existing allocation and will affect the overall affordability of a pay award.

19. Taking these factors into consideration, we ask the PRRB to recommend how to apply the pay award for 2023/24 for police officers of all ranks, including chief officers.

London Weighting

20. Historically, London Weighting has increased in line with annual pay increases. We ask the PRRB to consider the evidence put forward by policing partners on whether there is a case for increasing this in 2023/24. Any increase must be funded from within existing allocations.

Allowances

21. An overview of current allowances available to officers is provided in section V. Any increases to allowances in 2023/24 will need to be funded from within the existing allocation and will affect the overall affordability of a pay award.

III. Context

Policing environment

22. Figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, published in ‘Crime in England and Wales: year ending September 2022’^{[footnote 2]} show that, compared with the pre-coronavirus pandemic year ending March 2020, total crime has decreased by 10%. The report highlights that the year ending September 2022 estimates showed that:

• Overall theft decreased by 20% compared with the year ending March 2022.
• Fraud has returned to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, with no significant change compared to the year ending March 2020. This suggests fraud increases may have been specific to the pandemic rather than a sustained change in trends.

23. The report also notes that police recorded crime is generally not considered a good indicator of trends in crime. However, for some crime types, it can give more insight into lower-volume but higher-harm crimes, including those that the crime survey does not cover, or capture well. It highlights that some crimes have increased in the last year, since the removal of social restrictions, but remain below pre pandemic levels. For example:

• Homicides decreased by 8% compared with the year ending March 2020. This compares with a 2% increase with the year ending September 2021.
• Offences involving knives or sharp instruments decreased by 8% compared with the year ending March 2020. This compares with an 11% increase with the year ending September 2021.
• Recorded robbery offences also remained 21% lower than the year ending March 2020. More recently, robbery offences increased 15% compared with the year ending September 2021.
• Sexual offences have risen by 22% compared with the pre-coronavirus pandemic year ending March 2020. The increase to 199,021 offences was the highest annual figure recorded in England and Wales. However, the report states that it is important to note that the increase may reflect a number of factors, including the impact of high-profile cases and campaigns on victims’ willingness to report both recent and historical incidents.

24. HMICFRS’s ‘State of Policing’ ^{[footnote 3]} report, published in March 2022 sets out that over the past ten years, demand on the police has changed. The report notes that violence, abuse and acquisitive crime have always been prevalent. However, online crime is now by far the most prevalent type of crime, and fraud eclipses all other crimes in volume.

Beating Crime Plan

25. Cutting crime is a priority for the government and is central to the mission of levelling up the country. In July 2021, we published the Beating Crime Plan, which sets out this Government’s approach to cutting crime, protecting the public and increasing confidence in the criminal justice system. It does this by combining deterrence and prevention, to stop the public from becoming victims in the first place, with enforcement, to deliver swift and certain justice to those who chose to break the law.

26. The plan outlines the government’s strategic approach, focusing on cutting homicide, serious violence and neighbourhood crime; exposing and ending hidden harms; and building capability and capacity to deal with fraud and online crime.

27. Since publication we have made real progress against the commitments in the plan. In particular, this is shown through:

• Expansion of our network of multi-agency Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) and our use of surged hotspot policing through our GRIP programme to cover the 20 areas which account for over 80% of serious violence offence in England and Wales. The combination of these two programmes has prevented an estimated 49,000 incidents in their first two years, driving a saving to society of over £3 for every £1 spent on the programmes.
• Expansion of Project ADDER, which takes a comprehensive approach to tackling drugs, balancing enforcement and treatment, to 8 additional areas. Between January 2021 and September 2022, the ADDER programme has supported over 1,600 Organised Crime Group disruptions, over 20,500 arrests and over 28,500 drug treatment interventions.
• Making it easier for the police to use Section 60 stop and search powers, empowering over 9,000 more officers to authorise use of this power to tackle serious violence. In the last reporting year almost 67,000 people were arrested following a stop and search and almost 14,900 offensive weapons were taken off the streets.
• Increasing the rigour with which we manage offenders by expanding our acquisitive crime GPS tagging project to cover half of England and Wales. Over the next three years around 10,000 prolific robbers, thieves and burglars will be fitted with GPS tags as they come out of prison and are managed within local Integrated Offender Management schemes so that swift action can be taken when there are concerns about behaviour.
• We know that the public have a set of basic expectations of the criminal justice system. They expect to be able to contact their local police, to know their names and how to reach them. They want to see police in their neighbourhood confronting crime and making streets safer. The Beating Crime Plan outlines our approach to achieving this, and the uplift in officers will enable us to meet these expectations. While recruitment and retention are currently healthy overall, we must ensure that pay and reward remains competitive to continue to attract new officers and retain existing officers.

Police funding

28. The government has published a total police funding settlement of up to £17.2 billion for 2023/24, an increase of up to £287 million when compared to 2022/23. This includes:

• Government grants to PCCs.
• Flexibility for PCCs to raise additional money locally from council tax precept.
• Funding for national priorities, such as tackling serious violence and county lines.

29. Assuming full take up of precept flexibility, overall police funding available to PCCs will increase by up to £523 million (3.6% in cash terms) next year. This breaks down as:

• An additional £174 million in government grants, including funding that will maintain the 20,000 additional officers beyond March 2023.
• Up to an additional £349 million from the proposed council tax precept flexibility.

Efficiency and effectiveness

30. As announced at the Spending Review 2021, the government will expect to see over £100 million of cashable efficiency savings delivered from force budgets by 2024/25.

31. These will be delivered through improvements in areas including commercial and procurement practices (such as BlueLight Commercial Ltd) as well as corporate functions.

32. The NPCC is currently conducting a review into the operational productivity of policing. This is led by Sir Stephen House and will support the service in understanding the productivity of police forces.

33. The review will focus on identifying good practice and will cover a range of key issues such as the impact of regulatory procedures and barriers to police productivity. It will develop analytical tools to examine police processes. The review will also look at the effects of the Police Uplift Programme, the use of technology, the impacts of police productivity on the criminal justice system, and how to ensure future Spending Review bids are data-driven and clear in their outcomes.

Police Uplift Programme

34. The government is on track to deliver its manifesto commitment to recruit 20,000 additional officers by 31 March 2023, with 16,753 additional police officers recruited to 31 December 2022, making up 84% of the target.

35. Nationally forces have received 259,511 applications since October 2019 and interest in policing careers remains strong. The pattern of applications varies at force level depending on what entry routes are open locally and how attraction activity is targeted.

36. We commissioned a survey of new recruits ^{[footnote 4]} (receiving 3,462 responses) and found that 90% were satisfied with their job, more than 80% intend to stay in their role until retirement age, and just 1% indicated an intention to leave policing. 80% of new officers surveyed said the job meets or exceeds their expectations.

37. The Police Uplift Programme will have been delivered by 31 March 2023, at which point it will close. We expect that beyond March 2023 officer numbers across forces are maintained. This means that for 2024 officer numbers should remain at the same level we expect all forces to be at by March 2023, which is their baseline plus Police Uplift Programme allocation. Further detail on this will be provided in spring 2023.

Recruitment and retention

38. Beyond March 2023, once the Uplift Programme is closed, forces will need to continue to recruit around 9,000 officers per year for numbers to be maintained.

39. The Police Uplift Programme Onboarding Survey 2021 highlighted the importance of strong line management supervision to support retention and help officers to thrive. Published workforce data show that the number of constables per sergeant has remained broadly stable; from 5.6 constables per sergeant in March 2021 to 5.4 at March 2022 ^{[footnote 5]} .

40. Outside of the Uplift programme, recruitment and retention remains at a national level remains stable. The majority of those leaving the police service do so via normal retirement. Voluntary resignations account for 2.5% of the workforce and are low compared to other sectors.

41. Previous evidence submissions have highlighted that there is anecdotal evidence about recruitment difficulties and increased attrition rates for some specialist roles. However, we have not received robust evidence about the nature of the problem and whether pay is a contributory factor.

42. In its last report, the PRRB requested an update whether there are any recruitment and retention difficulties for sergeant roles. In years when officer numbers were previously at their peak (2010), there were around 4.8 constables per sergeant. The current ratio of 5.4 is expected to reduce as the intake of new officers gain experience and progress through the ranks.

Diversity

43. Police Workforce statistics ^{[footnote 6]} show that, as at 31 March 2022, there were 11,053 full-time equivalent officers from minority ethnic groups (excluding white minorities), making up 8.1% of the workforce, compared with 7.6% last year. Black officers made up 1.3% of the total workforce, Asian officers 3.7%, and those identifying as a Mixed ethnic group or another ethnic group 3.1%.

44. There has been a gradual upward trend in the proportion of officers who identify as an ethnic minority (excluding white minority) since 2010. However, the proportion of officers belonging to a minority ethnic group (excluding white minorities) remains considerably lower than the 18.3% of the population in England and Wales who identified as such as the 2021 Census.

45. Under-representation of minority ethnic officers (excluding white minorities) was higher among senior ranks (chief inspector or above) compared with constables and other ranks. For example, 5.5% of officers of rank chief inspector or above identified as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities), compared with 8.7% of constables.

46. There were 46,955 female police officers as at 31 March 2022, making up 33.5% of police officers in England and Wales (compared by 32.4% last year).

47. The Police Uplift Programme Onboarding Survey reports that intention to continue as a police officer until retirement or pension age was high. Eight in ten officers stated they intended to stay in policing until retirement or pension age (81%). This was a little lower for officers from minority ethnic backgrounds; seven in ten stated the same long-term career intentions (73%).

IV. Police workforce reform

Pay reform

48. Determinations made under the Police Regulations 2003 have been amended so that with effect from 1 April 2023, incremental progression through the pay scale will be dependent upon an officer meeting the requirements of the Pay Progression Standard (PPS). Forces must have processes in place from 1 April 2022 for officers to meet PPS requirements.

49. The PPS requires that an officer:

• Has completed an annual Professional Development Review (PDR).
• On the PPS confirmation date, is not subject to ongoing formal action within Stages 1, 2 or 3 of the Unsatisfactory Performance or Attendance Procedures under the Police (Performance) Regulations 2020.
• Has successfully completed training required for the purposes of the PPS. *If the officer is a line manager, that they have completed PDRs and made PPS decisions for those they manage.

50. We consider the PPS a positive step forward that will help to drive up the importance of PDRs, line management and effective supervision, and officer development. The PPS will support the drive to embed continuous professional development in policing and ensure officers are better supported throughout their career, as well as providing an objective basis for holding leaders to account for their performance and management skills. A workforce supported by robust performance management processes will be more capable and able to deliver more effective policing.

51. In previous pay rounds the PRRB has provided commentary and observations on the benchmarking of police officer pay and the valuation of the P-factor. We agree that the overall purpose of benchmarking police officer pay, and the methodology used to value the P-factor, must be clearly defined. We support the PRRB’s view that a clear and transparent statement of the methodology adopted including example calculations must be provided, so that all interested parties, including police officers themselves, can understand this important work. We ask the PRRB to provide further commentary and observations on benchmarking and the P-factor, and whether the points raised in the last pay round have been addressed.

Strategy

52. We recognise the PRRB’s comments in its last report that completion of the Police Uplift Programme presents an opportunity to refresh and prepare for the next phase of pay 15 reform. However, the focus for the sector since the PRRB’s last report has rightly been on delivering the final stage of the Uplift in the months to March 2023.

53. A comprehensive workforce transformation strategy will take time to develop and will need to be forward looking, understanding the gaps in the workforce, and consider how pay and conditions, leadership and talent, training and development, wellbeing and recognition can address those gaps. An overarching strategy, purpose and objectives for the next phase of police workforce and pay reform is therefore not included in our evidence this year. The Home Office will continue to work with policing partners to support the development of this and will keep the Review Body informed of its progress.

54. However, the Home Office agrees that it is critical that any pay reform proposals made to the PRRB are evidence based, setting out the rationale for their implementation and clearly linked to the existing workforce strategy documents including the Policing Vision 2025 and the Strategic Assessment of Workforce.

55. However, the Home Office agrees that it is critical that any pay reform proposals made to the PRRB are evidence based, setting out the rationale for their implementation and clearly linked to the existing workforce strategy documents including the Policing Vision 2025 and the Strategic Assessment of Workforce.

Review of chief officer remuneration

56. We welcome the NPCC, APCC and Chief Police Officers’ Staff Association’s (CPOSA) continued work to review chief officer remuneration. We ask the PRRB to consider the proposals submitted by parties resulting from this work.

57. It is important that the overall remuneration package helps to attract candidates of the right calibre and facilitates the flow of talent into the chief officer ranks. Pay should be considered alongside the College of Policing’s wider work on leadership, as set out below.

58. Proposals for revised salary groupings, reducing the current 12 to three, were submitted to the PRRB for consideration in the last pay round. We understand that parties intend to submit proposals in this pay round for changes the salary groupings and options for implementation. As highlighted by the PRRB in its last report, increases to chief officer pay could have a negative effect on morale of lower ranks. We welcome the views from the PRRB on the extent to which this has been considered in developing the proposals.

59. We agree with the PRRB’s views that there are strong arguments to review the current relocation allowances to support mobility and reduce the barriers to recruitment and progression in chief officer ranks. We would also emphasise that a review should 16 consider the purpose of any allowances as well as their use as part of a wider package of incentives for recruitment at a senior level.

60. There is continued disagreement between parties on whether Deputy Chief Constables’ contractual arrangements should be amended from Fixed Term Appointments to the same status as all other ranks (excluding Chief Constables). The Home Office convened a working group with representatives from the NPCC, APCC, CPOSA, Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) and College of Policing in November. As consensus could not be reached, we would suggest that further data from the APCC and the College, in parallel with any other developments on chief officer conditions of service, will enable us to keep this issue under review. We will reconvene the discussion at an appropriate point in the future.

61. We welcome the work led to develop a standardised contract for chief officers. This will help to increase transparency and ensure a consistent approach is taken across the country.

Entry routes

62. As at January 2023, 42 out of 43 forces are using at least one of the Policing Education Qualifications Framework entry routes (PEQF). Nine forces continue to recruit through the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP). From November 2019 to December 2021, 15,518 officers came through the new PEQF entry routes ^{[footnote 7]} . This represents 60% of total officers coming through in that time period.

63. On 9 November 2022, the Home Secretary announced that she had asked the College of Policing to consider options for a new non-degree entry route, to complement the existing PEQF framework. In the meantime, the current transitional non-degree entry route (IPLDP) will be kept open.

64. According to NPCC management information, as of May 2022, 20 out of 43 forces had recruited direct entry detectives via the Degree Holder Entry Programme Detective route. Forces report that this entry route is strongly subscribed to, especially from ethnic minorities and females.

Talent management

65. Policing needs an adaptive leadership cadre with flexibility of thought, high quality leadership skills, and the ability to build legitimacy across all communities. We have invested £1.1m in 2021/22 and a further £2.25m in 2022/23 for the College of Policing to create a National Leadership Centre which will develop standards and a leadership development framework at all ranks, supporting better talent management across policing. As part of this, work is also underway by the College to reform all national promotion processes to ensure they are based on the new standards and linked to mandatory professional development at each rank. All of this work forms part of the College’s goal to develop an ‘end-to-end’ framework: defining, supporting and enabling leadership development, promotion and progression at all levels within the police service.

66. The College recently concluded an independent review into chief officer development and progression. The review focused on: strengthening the pipeline for chief officer roles; assessment and development models supporting progression to chief officer; the role of the College and forces in preparing candidates for the assessment; and ambition for fundamental change. The report found that there was a very high degree of consensus in the sector about the barriers to progression to chief officer rank, but there was no such consensus around what the solutions should be. The College subsequently developed proposals for fundamental change to the current system, to be implemented over the next year. Overall, the new measures will increase transparency and open up access to senior level development.

67. The Home Office has continued to fund Police Now in 2022/23 to deliver a frontline leadership programme, to support existing officers to reach sergeant and inspector level. There are 200 participants currently on the programme for 2022/23.

Morale and wellbeing

68. The Police Covenant was enshrined in law in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and work on the agreed priorities has progressed markedly since then. Of the original eleven priorities, agreed by the Home Office and the police at the Police Covenant Oversight Board, three have now been completed in the areas of occupational health, pre-deployment mental health training and assaults against the police. Those priorities not yet completed, including further priorities relating to support for families and for those who have left policing, will be addressed where possible over the coming year.

69. Further information on the progress of the Police Covenant. The Home Office will produce the first annual report on the Police Covenant in spring 2023.

70. The Home Office continues to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service, with a further £3.75m of funding provided for 2022/23.

Annual leave

71. Police officers in the federated ranks are currently entitled to 22 days’ annual leave on appointment, increasing to 30 days after 20 years’ service. The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has proposed to the Police Consultative Forum that this is 18 increased to 25 days on appointment, increasing to 30 days after five years’ service so that it is comparable to that for other public sector workers.

72. Annual leave for officers in the federated ranks was last reviewed in 2004 by the Police Negotiating Board. Prior to this review, officers were entitled to 21 days on appointment, increasing to 29 days after 20 years’ service.

73. Initial Home Office estimates from modelling of management data suggest that increasing annual leave entitlement on appointment and reducing years’ of service to reach 30 days’ entitlement would equate to a reduction of approximately 1,500 full-time equivalent officers based on workforce numbers as at 31 March 2022. Pay related costs for that many officers would be approximately £80 million. However, this needs to be considered alongside the overall benefits, which may include improved work-life balance, wellbeing, productivity, motivation and morale, which may offset those costs. Due to the Uplift Programme, there are more officers than usual in the early years of their career who would benefit most from the proposed change.

74. We understand the NPCC will want to consider the financial implications and the impact of the proposals on resources within forces. We are grateful to the NPCC for convening a working group, with representatives from the PFEW, PSA, police forces and the Home Office to further consider these issues alongside the potential benefits. This will inform the development of detailed proposals that will then be submitted to the PRRB for consideration. While we are not seeking a recommendation from the PRRB in this pay round, we welcome its early views on increasing annual leave entitlement for officers in the federated ranks to 25 days on appointment, increasing to 30 days after five years’ service, to inform the development of detailed proposals.

V. Overall remuneration package

Basic pay

75. The starting salary for police officers is between £23,556 and £26,682 for constables, depending on skills and experiences. Median basic pay in the year ending 31 March 2022 was close to the pay scale maximum for police constables. A table setting out the headcount and salaries for each rank is provided in Annex B.

76. Median total earnings for police officers remain competitive when compared to: the private sector; professional occupations; and managers, directors and senior officials as demonstrated in the charts below.

Chart 1: Median total earnings for police officers compared to median total earnings in the private sector, 2022

Chart 2: Change in median total earnings for inspecting and superintending ranks (in London), comparable occupational groups and the private sector, 2020 to 2022

Chart 3: Change in median total earnings for constables and sergeants (in London), comparable occupational groups and the private sector, 2020 to 2022

Chart 4: Change in median total earnings for inspecting and superintending ranks (outside London), comparable occupational groups and the private sector, 2020 to 2022

Chart 5: Change in median total earnings for constables and sergeants (outside London), comparable occupational groups and the private sector, 2020 to 2022

• Source (Charts 1 - 5): Home Office analysis of the Police Workforce Census, 31 March 2020, 2021 and 2022 and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) time series of selected estimates (Office for National Statistics).
• Notes: Year-on-year comparisons in police officer earnings should be treated with caution due to changes in the composition of the workforce over time. Chief officer median earnings are excluded due to low numbers in these ranks.
• All private sector professions and managers, directors and senior officials’, and associate professional (and technical to 2021) occupations median total earnings are for the UK, rather than regionally split. *Associate professional (and technical to 2021) occupations include constables and sergeants. Managers, directors and senior officials includes senior officers. ^{[footnote 8]}

Allowances

77. In addition to basic pay, officers may be entitled to receive additional allowances as provided for in Annex U made under Regulation 34 of the Police Regulations 2003. The legislation sets the rate for each allowance and the eligibility criteria. Allowances are non-pensionable.

78. In previous reports the PRRB suggested that allowances should be subject to a rolling programme of review. However, it noted that allowances would be reviewed under the pay reform agenda and that future evidence submissions should update on these developments and how they might link with the proposed rolling programme of review.

79. In its last report the PRRB invited the Home Office to provide evidence that would enable it to consider allowances more broadly and policing remuneration in the round. Increases to some allowances have been made on an ad hoc basis over the years, but there is no formalised approach to how frequently or on what basis they should be reviewed. It will not be possible to review every allowance at once, but we welcome a formal structure with defined timescales for review. We understand the NPCC will include in its evidence terms of reference setting out a proposed structure for reviewing allowances. Any recommended increases to allowances in 2023/24 will need to be funded from within the existing allocation and may affect the overall affordability of a pay award.

80. We ask the PRRB to consider current allowances in order to provide advice on whether any should be prioritised for review for future pay rounds, while taking into account the broader affordability picture of police remuneration and policing priorities.

Unsocial hours allowance

81. Officers in the federated ranks receive an additional 10% of their basic pay, on an hourly basis, for hours worked between 8:00pm and 6:00am. The allowance was introduced in 2012.

Away from home allowance

82. Officers in the federated ranks are paid an allowance if they are held in reserve. They are held in reserve if they are serving away from their normal place of duty and are required to stay in a particular, specified place, rather than being allowed to return home by reason of the need to be ready for immediate deployment. Since 1 March 2015, the allowance is £50 per night.

Hardship allowance

83. Paid to officers in the federated ranks for each night held in reserve and not provided with “proper accommodation”. “Proper accommodation” is defined as a room for the sole occupation of the officer, with an en-suite bathroom. Since 1 March 2015, the allowance is £30 per night.

On-call allowance

84. Initially available to officers in the federated ranks for each 24-hour period on-call. The allowance was increased by £5 to £20 with effect from 1 September 2019 and eligibility was also extended to officers in the superintending ranks.

Motor vehicle allowance

85. Paid to officers using their own vehicles for duty, at essential user or casual user rates. The Winsor Review ^{[footnote 9]} recommended that the link between the motor vehicle allowance for police officers and that for local authorities should be re-established. This was accepted by the Government and with effect from 1 April 2012, the essential users lump sum per annum is:

• 451-999cc - £846
• 1000-1199cc - £963
• 1200 -1450cc - £1,239

86. With effect from 1 September 2016, following recommendations from the PRRB, the rates payable for mileage expenses to both essential and casual users were aligned to the prevailing HMRC rates. Current rates are 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile for mileage over 10,000 miles in any tax year.

87. We welcome views from the PRRB on what an appropriate essential users lump sum for electric vehicles should be set at.

Dog handlers’ allowance

88. Compensates dog handlers for caring for a dog on their rest days and public holidays and is payable where a police dog is kept and cared for at the officer’s home. Dog handers’ allowance increased to £2,520 a year on 1 September 2022.

89. The dog handler’s allowance has historically increased each year in line with the main pay award. In its last report, the PRRB recommended that policing parties review the requirement and appropriate level for the dog handlers’ allowance and said it did not plan to make any further increases to the allowance until the conclusions of such a review are received. The NPCC have undertaken an initial review. However, policing partners have expressed views that the allowance should continue to increase annually until the review is complete.

Protection allowance

90. Paid to officers engaged in core protection duties when they are required immediately before or after a shift, whilst off duty, to remain in a particular, specified location (rate 1); or are required to remain in a particular, specified location, be immediately contactable and deployable, and fit for firearms duty or duty with a Conductive Energy Device (rates 2 and 3). The allowance was introduced on 1 December 2020 at varying rates, dependent on rank and the nature of the deployment.

• Rate 1: £40 per day.
• Rate 2: Constables and sergeants - £90 per day; Inspectors and chief inspectors - £125 per day. *Rate 3: Constables and sergeants - £125 per day; Inspectors and chief inspectors - £160 per day.

London allowance

91. Paid to officers in the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police appointed on or after 1 September 1994, and not receiving a replacement allowance. The maximum rate was increased by £1,000 to £5,338 a year on 1 September 2020.

92. The maximum rate for officers appointed before 1 September 1994 and in receipt of a replacement allowance is £1,011 a year (provided that the total of the London allowance and replacement allowance payable shall not exceed the London allowance that would be payable if the officer were not receiving a replacement allowance).

93. The rates are determined by the Commissioner of the relevant force with regard to location and retention needs, following consultation with the joint branch board or Joint Executive Committee.

London transitional supplement

94. Paid to officers in the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police who joined before 1 September 1994 and who receive a half rate housing allowance or a flat rate transitional rent allowance. The rate is determined by the Commissioner of the relevant force with regard to location and retention needs, following consultation with the joint branch board or Joint Executive Committee, and not exceeding £1,000 a year (provided that the total of the London transitional supplement, London allowance and replacement allowance payable to the officer shall not exceed the London allowance that would be payable if the officer were not receiving a replacement allowance).

South East England allowance

95. Paid to officers in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey or Thames Valley forces appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving a replacement allowance, at a maximum rate of £3,000. Officers in Bedfordshire, Hampshire or Sussex forces appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving a replacement allowance may receive an allowance at a maximum rate of £2,000. The maximum rate was increased on 1 September 2016.

96. The rate is determined by the Chief Constable of the relevant force with regard to location and retention needs, following consultation with the joint branch board. Before exercising their discretion, the Chief Constable must obtain and have regard to evidence of local difficulties in recruiting and retaining police officers; and a local assessment of affordability conducted in consultation with the local policing body.

South East England transitional supplement

97. A supplementary allowance paid to officers in Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey forces who joined before 1 September 1994 and whose half rate housing allowance or flat rate transitional rent allowance is less than the rate of the South East England Allowance that the officer would receive if not in receipt of a replacement allowance. It is paid at the rate of the difference between the South East England allowance and the officer’s half rate housing/flat rate transitional rent allowance.

Bonus payments

98. A discretionary payment of between £50 and £2,000 where the chief officer is satisfied an officer has performed work of an outstandingly demanding, unpleasant or important nature. The maximum payment was increased to £2,000 on 1 July 2021.

Service critical skills payments (also referred to as targeted variable pay)

99. Discretionary payments of up to £5,000 a year to officers in the federated and superintending ranks for skills that are in demonstrably short supply and financial incentivisation is considered necessary to attract or retain those skills; or where the role in question is hard-to-fill.

Recognition of workload payments (also referred to as targeted variable pay)

100. Discretionary payments of up to £5,000 a year to officers in the superintending ranks in circumstances where the chief officer determines that the demands placed on the officer exceed those usually placed on other officers of the same rank.

101. Targeted variable payments were introduced for a temporary period of two years and are due to cease on 30 June 2023. The Home Office set out its expectation that during the two-year period:

• The NPCC would regularly collect data from each force on how these payments are being used. The data will be used to enable completion of a robust Equality Impact Assessment, to inform Ministers’ decisions on whether to implement the payments as a permanent discretionary pay lever at the end of the initial two-year period.
• Further detail should be shared on initiatives to improve recruitment and retention into hard to fill roles, recognising that pay is unlikely to be the primary factor.
• During the initial two-year period a method for defining and assessing which roles are deemed to be hard to fill and demanding, using a form of job or role evaluation should be developed, to ensure consistency in approach both within and across forces. Under the current arrangements, roles are not assessed or evaluated to determine what the appropriate levels of pay ought to be, based on the skills, qualifications and levels of expertise required.

Pay progression

102. Federated and superintending ranks, assistant chief constables, and commanders in the Metropolitan Police Service currently receive pay progression. Those who have not reached the top of their pay scale receive annual incremental pay worth at least 2% of salary, and often 4-6%, in addition to annual pay awards. With effect from 1 April 2023, this is dependent on an officer meeting the requirements of the pay progression standard (PPS) in the previous 12 months.

103. Dependent on meeting the PPS, a constable will typically reach the top of their pay scale in 7 years; other ranks in 3-4 years. Most police officers enter as police constables. A typical constable will receive a salary of £43,032 within 7 years of joining.

Pensions

104. A key benefit of working in the public sector is access to the appropriate pension schemes. Public sector pensions are often generous in comparison to those in the private sector, with most public sector employees able to access defined benefit schemes where employer contributions are around 20% of earnings. The Government encourages all employees to join occupational pension schemes.

105. Police officers are entitled to membership of a valuable defined benefit pension scheme, a guaranteed inflation-linked pension for life, based on salary and years worked. This is not the case in the private sector, in which schemes can often be a less valuable defined contribution pension with no guarantees and leaving all the investment and longevity risk with employees. In the Police Pension Scheme members benefit from significant employer contributions on top of their own contribution. The pension also comes with ancillary benefits, for example, spouse/partner pensions, child pensions and a death in service lump sum.

106. There is one pension scheme that is currently open for active members, the Police Pension Scheme (PPS) 2015 (Career Average Revalued Earnings). The older schemes have been closed to further accrual since 31 March 2022.

107. The PPS retained a lower pension age as part of the pension reforms implemented across public services in 2015. The Normal Pension Age for police officers is age 60, compared to a Normal Pension Age for most public servants which is linked to state pension age (planned to rise in stages to 68).

108. The current (1 April 2020 – 31 March 2023) earning thresholds and contribution rates used to calculate member contributions for the PPS 2015 are: 12.44% for those earning £27,000 or less; 13.44% for those earning more than £27,000 but less than £60,000; and 13.78% for those earning £60,000 or more. The current PPS 2015 employer contribution rate is 31% ^{[footnote 10]} .

109. The charts below compare police officer median total earnings with employer pension contributions added, to those in the private sector and comparable occupations:

Chart 6: Change in median total earnings for inspecting and superintending ranks (in London) with 31% employer pensions contributions added and median total earnings in comparable occupational groups and the private sector with 6.2% employer contributions added, 2020 to 2022

Chart 7: Change in median total earnings for constables and sergeants (in London) with 31% employer pensions contributions added and median total earnings in comparable occupational groups and the private sector with 6.2% employer contributions added, 2020 to 2022

Chart 8: Change in median total earnings for inspecting and superintending ranks (outside London) with 31% employer pensions contributions added and median total earnings in comparable occupational groups and the private sector with 6.2% employer contributions added, 2020 to 2022

Chart 9: Change in median total earnings for constables and sergeants (outside London) with 31% employer pensions contributions added and median total earnings in comparable occupational groups and the private sector with 6.2% employer contributions added, 2020 to 2022

• Source (Charts 6 – 9): Home Office analysis of the Police Workforce Census, 31 March 2020, 2021 and 2022 and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings time series of selected estimates (Office for National Statistics).
• Notes: Year-on-year comparisons in police officer earnings should be treated with caution due changes in the composition of the workforce over time. Chief officer median earnings are excluded due to low numbers in these ranks.
• Associate professional (and technical to 2021) occupations include constables and sergeants. Managers, directors and senior officials includes senior officers ^{[footnote 11]} .
• Employer contributions for police officers are 31% of basic pay. For the private sector, employer pension contributions are calculated at an average of 6.2% and have been added to median total earnings.
• All private sector professions and managers, directors and senior officials’, and associate professional (and technical to 2021) occupations median total earnings are for the UK, rather than regionally split.
• Managers, directors and senior officials, and associate professional (and technical to 2021) occupational groups include both public and private sector employees. However, the private sector employer pension contribution average of 6.2% has been added for comparative purposes. Public sector employer contributions are around 20% or more ^{[footnote 12]} .

McCloud/Sargeant

110. On 16 July 2020, the Government published a Command Paper, ‘Public service pension schemes: changes to the transitional arrangements to the 2015 schemes’ ^{[footnote 13]} . The consultation set out two proposed options for retrospectively removing the discrimination suffered by members who were not eligible for transitional protection due to their age and proposed that the legacy schemes would be closed to all members on 31 March 2022. In February 2021, the Government published its response, confirming that the legacy schemes would close on 31 March 2022 and that affected members would be given a choice of which pension benefits they wish to receive when those benefits are paid.

111. The Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act (PSPJOA) 2022^{[footnote 14]} was introduced to the House of Lords on 19 July 2021 and achieved Royal Assent on 10 March 2022. The PSPJOA 2022 sets the framework for the retrospective remedy, including the deadline for all eligible members to be treated as having accrued service in the relevant legacy schemes for the remedy period (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022) by 1 October 2023, and contain enabling powers where needed.

112. The remedy will be delivered in two phases:

• Prospective remedy phase (in force from 1 April 2022): Legacy schemes closed on 31 March 2022 and all members who continued in pensionable service from 1 April were moved to the reformed scheme.
• Retrospective remedy phase (will be in force from 1 October 2023): From 1 October 2023, eligible members will be able to choose to receive a legacy scheme benefit or benefits equivalent to those available under the reformed pension scheme for service between 2015 and 2022.

113. The first part of the remedy (prospective) was achieved through the Police and Firefighters’ Pension Schemes (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (‘the Regulations’) and the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act (PSPJOA) 2022. Between 8 November 2021 and 2 January 2022, the Home Office (as the Responsible Authority for the police pension scheme in England and Wales) consulted on proposed amendments to the PPS (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 as the first phase of the remedy. The Home Office response to the consultation was published on 8 March 2022.

114. From 1 April 2022, all police officers who continued in service were moved to the reformed schemes, regardless of age. Legacy schemes (i.e. the Police Pension Scheme 1987 and Police Pension Scheme 2006) closed in relation to service after 31 March 2022. This marked the completion of the first, prospective phase of the remedy.

115. The Home Office intends to consult shortly on proposed amendments to regulations to implement the second, retrospective, element of the remedy. This will essentially allow eligible members to choose to receive legacy pension scheme benefits or benefits equivalent to those available under the 2015 pension scheme for service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022 (known as the remedy period).

116. Provisions in these scheme regulations will enable the police pension scheme to: correct any overpayment or underpayment of pension benefits or member contributions already paid in relation to a member because of their choice; and facilitate the payment of appropriate compensation to address financial loss arising from the discrimination or operation of the remedy, e.g. overpaid tax.

Other

117. Officers receive a minimum of 22 days of annual leave, rising with service to 30 days, plus bank holidays as well as access to flexible working schedules and career breaks.

118. Further benefits include enhanced maternity pay and leave and parental support pay (up to two weeks), paid allowances to compensate for disruption to family life and the demands of the role, and sick leave on full pay for up to six months.

VI. Governance

119. In its last report, the PRRB stated that there is a complicated and fragmented decision-making infrastructure containing both statutory and non-statutory bodies surrounding police workforce and pay reform. It asked for this wider architecture to be clarified and simplified and the need for coherence in decision-making processes at the national level on police workforce and pay reform to be prioritised.

Statutory duties

120. The Home Secretary’s statutory duties when making decisions regarding the pay and conditions of service for police officers are governed by the Police Act 1996 and the Police Regulations 2003.

121. Section 52A of the Police Act requires the Secretary of State to consider advice from the PRRB or Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) before making a regulation on the matters mentioned in section 52A(1). These are:

• Hours of duty
• Leave
• Pay and allowances *Issue, use and return of police clothing, personal equipment and accoutrements

122. Before making a determination under any provision of the Police Regulations 2003 relating to matters mentioned in section 52A (1) of the Police Act 1996, the Secretary of State must refer the matter to the PRRB or SSRB and consider the body’s report on the matter.

123. The duty to consider advice from the PRRB or SSRB does not apply if the Secretary of State considers there is not enough time to do so because the need to make the regulation or determination is so urgent; or it is unnecessary to do so by reason of the nature of the proposed regulation or determination. In both circumstances, before making the regulation or determination, the Secretary of State shall supply a draft of it to policing partners and consider any representations made.

124. Section 50(2ZC) of the Police Act sets out that the Secretary of State may not make regulations with respect to any of the matters mentioned unless the text of the regulations has been prepared or approved by the College of Policing. Matters mentioned in section 50(2ZC) are:

• The qualifications for appointment and promotion of members of police force
• Periods of service on probation
• The maintenance of personal records of members of police forces

125. Before making a determination under any provision of the Police Regulations 2003 relating to matters mentioned in section 50(2ZC) of the Police Act 1996, the Secretary of State must obtain the approval of the College of Policing.

126. Before making regulations or rules under sections 50, 52, 84 or 85 of the Police Act, other than regulations to which section 50(2ZC) applies or of a kind referred to in section 52A(1); regulations under Part 2 or 2B of the Police Reform Act 2002; an order under section 97A of the Police Act; or an order under section 11A of the Police Pensions Act 1976 the Secretary of State shall supply the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales with a draft of the regulations, rules or order and consider any representations made.

127. Before making a determination under any provision of the Police Regulations 2003 relating to any other matter not referred to paragraphs 122 and 125 above, the Secretary of State shall supply the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales with a draft of the determination and take into consideration any representations made.

Police Consultative Forum

128. The Police Consultative Forum (PCF) was following the introduction of the PRRB. It was recognised that there was value in providing a forum for policing partners to meet outside of the PRRB to discuss pay and conditions related matters. Representatives are drawn from the NPCC, APCC, PFEW, PSA and CPOSA. The Home Office provides secretariat support for the PCF and funding for an independent Chair.

129. The Home Office supports the use of the Police Consultative Forum to reach consensus and progress issues where it is appropriate to do so on matters mentioned in section 52A (1) of the Police Act. However, it is a voluntary, non-statutory body. Matters on which the forum has reached a decision on should be communicated to the Home Secretary. The Home Secretary will then consider whether to refer the matter to the PRRB or whether an amendment to the Police Regulations 2003 and/or determinations can be made using the discretion described in in-this-paragraph.

VII. Data provision

Published data

130. ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2022’ ^{[footnote 15]} includes data on: workforce numbers; promotions; joiners and leavers; age, sex and ethnicity; police functions; long term absence; recuperative and adjusted/restricted duties; and length of service.

131. Statistics on progress with the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales are published on a quarterly basis ^{[footnote 16]}.

132. As part of the initiative to improve data on the police workforce, the Home Office, the NPCC and the College of Policing have been collaborating in developing National Standards for Workforce Data. These data standards draw on existing harmonised standards set out by the Government Statistical Service and aim to bring more standardisation within policing for the collection of data on protected characteristics (and some other demographic information). The variables currently covered by the Standards are: Ethnicity, Age, Religion or Belief, Disability, Sexual Orientation, Gender, Sex, and Gender Reassignment.

133. Information on protected characteristics is self-reported by officers on police force HR systems. Recent changes to police force HR systems to align with the new data standards have allowed all staff the opportunity to review existing records and declare further information on protected characteristics. As many officers are yet to update their HR records, data against some of the protected characteristics are not currently complete.

134. As at 31 December 2022, all officers had recorded information on their sex and age, and there was a relatively high completion rate for information on ethnicity (97.2% complete as at 31 December 2022). The Home Office and NPCC continue to work with police forces to improve the quality of data collected on protected characteristics. It is expected that this will result in more complete data for officers and new recruits, as well as updated records for those officers in post where a characteristic was previously not stated.

Police Workforce Census

135. The Police Workforce Census is a record-level dataset which collects information on all officers in England and Wales. Data are collected on basic demographics of the officer, the rank and pay point, as well as allowances and overtime, as at the end of March each year. Given the sensitivities of the data collected, this dataset is not shared or published. However, aggregate data tables on pay are provided to the PRRB secretariat separately, and the HR data is published in the annual police workforce statistics.

Workforce Data Group

136. The Workforce Data Group, a sub-group of the NPCC Workforce Co-ordination Committee, includes representatives from the NPCC, police HR and finance teams, Home Office, HMICFRS and the College of Policing. The group discusses data issues with the aim to improve the quality, consistency and availability of data across policing. A key objective of the group is to advance collection of record-level data collection, primarily by further developing the Police Workforce Census, with the ambition of tracking officers throughout their careers using Unique Reference Numbers (URNs).

137. We agree with the PRRB’s comments on the importance of a robust evidence base to inform and enable the evaluation of pay and workforce reform. We also those responsible for gathering data should consider what improvements can be made to facilitate the provision of data. It is important that a consistent approach is taken across all forces and we look forward to progressing this via the Workforce Data Group.

Annex A: Home Secretary’s remit letter

Accessible version available at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remit-letter-to-the-police-remuneration-review-body-2023-to-2024

Annex B: Police officer numbers and salaries by rank

Federated ranks

Rank	Full-time equivalent[footnote 17]	Salary (minimum)	Salary (maximum)
Constables	110,048	£23,556 - £26,682 depending on skills and experience	£43,032
Sergeants	20,332	£45,687	£48,129
Inspectors	6,245	£54,600 £56,907 (in London)	£59,064 £61,392 (in London)
Chief Inspectors	2,010	£60,234 £62,556 (in London)	£62,634 £64,950 (in London)

Superintending ranks

Rank	Full-time equivalent[footnote 17]	Salary (minimum)	Salary (maximum)
Superintendents	1,011	£72,075	£84,783
Chief Superintendents	339	£88,872	£93,651

Chief officers

Rank	Full-time equivalent[footnote 17]	Salary (minimum)	Salary (maximum)
Total	243[footnote 18]
Assistant Chief Constables	-	£107,502	£121,122
Deputy Chief Constables*	-	-	£124,530 to £158,595
Chief Constables*	-	-	£148,371 to £206,274

Chief officers (London)

Rank	Full-time equivalent[footnote 17]	Salary (minimum)	Salary (maximum)
Commanders	-	£107,502	£121,122
Deputy Assistant Commissioners* (Metropolitan Police only)	-	-	£158,595
Assistant Commissioner* City of London Police	-	-	£151,377
Assistant Commissioner* Metropolitan Police	-	-	£206,274
Deputy Commissioner* (Metropolitan Police only)	-	-	£243,744
Commissioner* Metropolitan Police	-	-	£294,840
Commissioner* City of London Police	-	-	£183,123

*Pay for chief officer ranks is determined by the size of the force and level of crime demand

Annex C: Framework for pay and conditions of service reform proposals

Any consideration of changes to the pay structure or conditions of service should be made with consideration of the wider policing context and how pay and conditions measures can assist in meeting workforce aims.

Any pay proposal put forward to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB), the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) or Home Secretary for consideration should clearly demonstrate how it contributes to the aims, objectives and recommendations set out in the policing workforce strategies including the policing vision and the National Police Chief Council’s Strategic Assessment of Workforce. Proposals should identify the challenge or aspect of workforce development they are intended to assist with and explain why the proposal offered is the right solution to the challenge. All proposals should consider the wider policing context including wider workforce provisions, well-being, and include a cost/benefit analysis. Any proposals should clearly consider and provide a detailed narrative using the pay proposal development criteria detailed below.

It is not expected that any one organisation will be able to provide all the necessary evidence for a proposal in isolation. However, as far as possible, proposals should be developed in consultation with other organisations across the sector to ensure that they are robust.

Recommendations for annual pay uplifts within the existing pay structure made by the PRRB or SSRB are not reforms of pay and conditions of service and therefore fall outside of the scope of this framework.

Pay and conditions proposal development criteria

When considering reform of police officer pay and/or allowances, any proposals should provide an outline of:

Proposals linked to specific skills, ranks or job roles should consider:

• Capability: account for and describe the current workforce capability requirement; local and national capability.
• Future workforce/capability requirements: what skills/capabilities are required; what are the current capability gaps; vacancy rates. Consideration of pay/allowance as a lever when assessing the capability requirement, including quantitative and qualitative data. Local and national capability.
• Inflow and outflow: recruitment and attrition rates – overall; by rank; and/or by skill/role; reasons for inflow and outflow; extent to which remuneration is a contributing factor; results of exit interviews; wider context (e.g. covid-19 impact; Uplift).
• Environment: e.g. increased personal risk; frequent/prolonged exposure to trauma.
• External factors: can skills be drawn from outside policing; are officers with specific skills moving to other sectors; remuneration package in other sectors for specialist skills e.g. fraud; wider economic context; changes to employment legislation.
• Non-pay recruitment and retention measures: outline current mechanisms in place to recruit and retain e.g. recognition; Police Covenant; wellbeing; training and development; ‘conditions of service’.

All proposals should consider:

• Impact on delivery of policing objectives: assessment of the extent to which identified issue impacts on delivery of core services and priorities, for instance, for a police officer to attend every domestic burglary; and overall level of risk if no mitigating action taken.
• Current measures: initiatives already implemented and their impact; current pay structure – advantages and disadvantages; are current measures fit for purpose (e.g. recognising skills gained outside of policing).
• Preferred option: full analysis of workforce options to meet capability requirement should be described including rationale for pay/allowance as a preferred lever. Includes an outline of all the evidence considered; cost/benefit analysis; why it is the preferred option; assessment of the option in the context of all ranks.
• Other options available and/or considered: evidence considered; cost/benefit analysis; explanation of why it is not a preferred option.
• Diversity and inclusion: impact of options on diversity and inclusion; impact on gender pay gap; full Equality Impact Assessment as appropriate.
• Evaluation: How and when will the proposed option be evaluated to measure its success/impact/unintended consequences?
• Implementation: Costed plan for how the measures will be implemented; consideration of consequential impacts including on other aspect of pay and workforce.

1. Economic Evidence to Pay Review Bodies: 2023-24 Pay Round. ↩

2. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingseptember2022. ↩

3. https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/publications/state-of-policing-the-annual-assessment-of-policing-in-england-and-wales-2021/. ↩

4. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-uplift-programme-new-recruits-onboarding-survey-2021/police-uplift-programme-new-recruits-onboarding-survey-2021-report. ↩

5. Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2022. ↩

6. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2022/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2022#diversity. ↩

7. https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/the-police-uplift-programme/, ↩

8. https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/annualsurveyofhoursandearnings/2022. ↩

9. Independent Review of Police Officer and Staff Remuneration and Conditions, Part 1 Report. ↩

10. The employer contribution rate effective from 2019 is 31% of pensionable pay. This was set as part of the 2016 valuation and consists of the following elements: cost of benefits accruing in the scheme from 2019 to 2023; adjustment for costs of benefits accrued before 2019 not being as expected; and adjustment resulting from aligning the employer contribution correction cost to the target cost of the scheme. ↩

11. Office for National Statistics (Figure 10). ↩

12. Economic Evidence to the Pay Review Bodies: January 2023. ↩

13. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/public-service-pension-schemes-consultation-changes-to-the-transitional-arrangements-to-the-2015-schemes. ↩

14. https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3032. ↩

15. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2022. ↩

16. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-officer-uplift-statistics. ↩

17. As at 31 March 2022 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2022. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

18. Chief officer numbers are aggregated. ↩