Clause 6 - Regulation of procedures and practices
Police Reform Bill [Lords]
4:00 pm
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
It is important to reflect on the fact that the Association of Police Authorities briefed my hon. Friend the Member for South-East Cambridgeshire and me on the basis that it has a similar worry to the one that I expressed about the previous clause. The association considers that clause 6 will increase significantly central control over policing. It said that it welcomed recognition of that in another place and the fact that the Government accepted some of the concerns expressed by Lord Dixon-Smith and others, and tabled some amendments.
Reference to operational matters was removed in another place. Regulations can now be made only when they assist forces to collaborate and HMIC has now to certify that the regulations are ''in the national interest''. We welcome those significant changes and obviously the Government are content to accept the logic of what was proposed by many noble Lords. Even taking account of the changes that have been made, however, the Association of Police Authorities
has still expressed some worry. It is important to put that on the record.