Band 7+: The table and charts below give information on the police budget for 2017 and 2018 in one area of Britain. The table shows where the money came from and the charts show how itwas distributed. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The table and charts illustrate the police budget in one area of Britain in 2017 and 2018. The table shows the sources of income, while the pie charts display how the money was spent.

Overall, the total police budget increased slightly from £304.7 million in 2017 to £318.6 million in 2018. The biggest source of income in both years was the national government, while the largest portion of spending went to salaries. However, spending on technology rose, while the share for salaries dropped.

In terms of income sources, the national government provided the most funding, rising slightly from £175.5m in 2017 to £177.8m in 2018. Local taxes also increased significantly, from £91.2m to £102.3m. Other sources, such as grants, grew only marginally from £38m to £38.5m.

Looking at expenditure, the largest share of the budget went to officers’ and staff salaries, although this dropped from 75% in 2017 to 69% in 2018. In contrast, spending on technology increased from 8% to 14%. Buildings and transport costs remained the same at 17% across both years.