‘THIS EXTRA FUNDING WILL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO JEOPARDISE PUBLIC HEALTH FACE THE CONSEQUENCES...’
£700k to help enforce coronavirus rules Corrigan
COUNCILS and police in North Staffordshire have been given more than £700,000 of Government funding to boost coronavirus enforcement.
The ‘surge funding’ will help Staffordshire Police step up town centre patrols, while councils will also be able to deploy coronavirus marshals to encourage businesses and members of the public to stick to social distancing rules.
Staffordshire Police has been allocated £452,169, which is equivalent to the annual salaries of around 15 police constables.
Forces will be expected to use the cash to ensure people are complying with restrictions, particularly in high risk areas. They will also work with councils and the Test & Trace service to enforce self-isolation rules.
Stoke-on-trent City Council has been allocated £174,416, with Newcastle Borough Council receiving £61,219 and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council £39,516.
The Government has issued local authorities with guidance on how this funding can be spent.
It could pay for new marshals, or stewards, who would carry out duties aimed at improving compliance with social distancing rules, such as managing queues outside businesses, directing pedestrians and reminding people to wear face coverings.
But the marshals will not be able to actually enforce the rules or issue fines, which will remain the duty of the police and certain designated council officers.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last month that marshals would be recruited to help stop the spread of Covid-19. But an investigation by news website Politicshome found that only four councils in the 100 worsthit areas had deployed marshals so far.
Across the country, police forces are sharing £30 million of new funding, with another £30 million pot for councils.
Cheshire East Council will receive £158,572, with Stafford Borough Council being allocated £55,153. Cheshire Police has been allocated £451,423.
In addition to the surge funding for the police, the Home Office
has also launched a scheme to compensate forces which have lost income from services such as the policing of football marches. The income loss recovery scheme will cover 75p of every £1 of income lost, above five per cent.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The vast majority of the British public has come together, followed the law and helped prevent the spread of this virus.
“But we’ve been clear that, with infections rising, we will not allow a small minority of people to reverse our hard-won progress.
“This extra funding will strengthen the police’s role in enforcing the law and make sure that those who jeopardise public health face the consequences.”
Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Since the start of the pandemic, people and businesses across the country have pulled together and followed the latest guidelines – this will be more important than ever as we head into the winter.
“That’s why we are giving councils a further £30 million in new funding to support their work on compliance and enforcement in their communities.
“Councils play a crucial role in protecting people’s safety, supporting businesses and helping the public to better understand the guidance. This new funding will ensure they can step this up further and continue to act proactively.”
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