Schedule 1 - Powers of the Secretary of State in relation to NCIS and NCS
Police Reform Bill [Lords]
4:30 pm
Mr John Denham (Minister of State (Police, Courts and Drugs), Home Office; Southampton, Itchen, Labour)
The answer is that I disagree with the APA on the matter—the tripartite relationship is not undermined. Both the Government amendments and the direction power that we discussed when we debated clause 4 seek to involve the police authority. If anything, that makes our expectations of police authorities and their responsibility to take action more explicit than ever. I totally reject the idea that we are undermining the tripartite relationship.
The new clause is not about undermining that relationship, but about dealing with a situation in which the other two legs of the tripartite relationship have failed to deliver. The police authorities are reluctant to accept that such a thing could occur with regard to their own members. I am not so sanguine, and believe that it is necessary for the Home Secretary to have powers to act in those circumstances.