Police raised concerns over Airwave funding

Concern over funding for the Airwave radio system led the Association of Police Authorities (APA) to hire a private lobbying company to influence Government spending plans.

According to a briefing paper obtained by Computing, the APA demanded that the government safeguard investment in the project from local authority budgets.

Home Secretary David Blunkett was told that the 'gloves were off.'

Peter Holland, chairman of the APA's Information Management Sub Group warned that Airwave was 'too important to under-fund and an inadequate fallback could lead to serious problems.'

He told Computing this week that he believes the message has got through, but he says funding remains a concern for some forces.

'We employed a lobbying company on a short-term contract,' said Holland, adding that 'the APA was likely to retain the company for the next budgetary round.'

According to the minutes of the January meeting of the APA in London, Police IT Organisation project director Martha Wooldridge also said she was 'very concerned' about the uncertain funding for Airwave in 2004/2005.

Airwave mmO2 vice president Jeff Parris says he believes the project is progressing well.