Committee publication · Correspondence · 14 July 2026
Correspondence from Catherine Atkinson MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls to Matt Storey, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, dated 13 July 2026: PCC victims funding in Cleveland
From: Justice Committee
Summary
Correspondence between Matt Storey, PCC for Cleveland, and Catherine Atkinson MP regarding victim support funding allocation. Storey raises that Cleveland—despite having England and Wales's highest crime rate (116.7 per 1,000 people)—receives only £7 per crime in victim funding versus £19 in the lowest-crime areas, due to a population-based formula. Atkinson confirms the government is investing £550 million over three years with 2% annual increases, but maintains the existing allocation methodology for funding stability ahead of PCC abolition in May 2028.
Key findings
- Cleveland recorded 116.7 crimes per 1,000 people (year ending September 2025), the highest rate in England and Wales, compared to national average of 84.1.
- Population-based funding formula allocates £7 per crime to Cleveland versus £19 to the five lowest-crime force areas; Storey estimates Cleveland is underfunded by approximately £1 million annually.
- Government committed £550 million in victim support funding over three years with 2% year-on-year increases for 2026/27 and 2027/28; third year conditional on future delivery model.
- Ministry of Justice maintained existing allocation methodology for 2026/27 and 2027/28 to provide certainty following announcement that PCCs will be abolished in May 2028.
- Storey argues local independent commissioning of victim services must be preserved and not centralised under police governance; Atkinson confirms officials are exploring future delivery models with PCC input.
Government position
The government partially accepts the underlying concern but rejects immediate formula change. Atkinson acknowledges Cleveland's challenges and appreciates Storey's commitment to victims, but maintains that stability through existing methodology takes priority given imminent PCC abolition. The government asserts the population-based formula provides consistency and minimises data volatility. It commits to exploring alternative allocation approaches and continued engagement with PCCs on future funding delivery models, but does not commit to crime-weighted reallocation or reversal of the formula in the short term.
Tone
AdversarialTopics
Key actors
Catherine Atkinson MP, Matt Storey, Ministry of Justice, Home Office, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), Cleveland Police, Cleveland victim support services
Notable line
“Cleveland, with the highest crime rate in the country, receives just £7 per crime.”
Key Quotes
“Cleveland recorded the highest crime rate per head of population of any police force area in England and Wales. In the year ending September 2025, the area recorded 116.7 crimes per 1,000 people – a stark contrast to the national average of 84.1.”
“… the five forces in England and Wales with the lowest crime rates receive around £19 per crime for victim support services. Cleveland, with the highest crime rate in the country, receives just £7 per crime.”
“Based on Cleveland receiving the same amount of victim funding as the five forces with the lowest crime rates, the area would get almost £1m extra per year to fund much-needed victim support services.”
“Effective provision must remain rooted in local structures, delivered by specialist organisations, and independent from policing.”
“… this Government remains committed to supporting victims, investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years. In recognition of the rising delivery costs, and within a challenging fiscal environment, we have increased victims funding to PCCs by 2%, year-on-year, over the next two years …”
“When allocating funding for 2026/27 and 2027/28 to PCCs, it was decided to maintain the same methodology used in the previous year, including the population-based formula for the core grant.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗