Clause 44 - Power for police to make schemes
Criminal Justice and Police Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Charles Clarke (Minister of State, Home Office; Norwich South, Labour)
The amendment would remove the provision that allows the chief officer to apply for a scheme. It is technically defective—although I do not criticise it on that basis—in that it would remove subsection (2), yet subsections (3), (4) and (5) would make no sense without it.
The Government's position is that partnership is where we ought to be. The police are a front-line service and they must work in partnership with local authorities, which is the central function of the clause. Partnership is a two-way process, which is why the initiating role can be played either by the local authority or by the police. They work in partnership in practice, as is required by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the crime reduction partnerships, which is the right way to proceed.
I understand the hon. Lady's general concerns, but I am genuinely surprised that she thinks that it is wrong to give the police as much power as local authorities to initiate action in such circumstances, given the proviso that both are required to work in conjunction with each other in accordance with the 1998 Act and the various partnerships. It is appropriate that both local authorities and the police should be able to initiate action.
I hope that the hon. Lady will be prepared to withdraw the amendment. If she decides to press it to a vote, I hope that the official Opposition will have the guts to vote as they should.