Clause 28 - Resignation in the interests of efficiency and effectiveness
Police Reform Bill [Lords]
4:30 pm
Mr John Denham (Minister of State (Police, Courts and Drugs), Home Office; Southampton, Itchen, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman asks a reasonable question, but the honest answer is that I shall have to disappoint him. We are not sufficiently far advanced in our discussions on the issue to promise that we will be able to produce draft arrangements before the middle of July if the Bill pursues a smooth course through the Commons and the Lords. I repeat the commitment that we gave in writing to the CPOSA that we would discuss the issues with it. I understand that the expression ''requirement to resign'' has been used as an alternative to the term ''dismissal'' in police regulations for many years. It is custom and practice, apparently, to use that phrase, and we carried on using it in the Bill.
If that is the substantive issue of the clause stand part debate, I shall not further detain the Committee. Perhaps under one of the later clauses there will be an opportunity for me to set out the sum total of the differences between the existing procedures that can lead to the stepping down of a chief constable and those that we are bringing into place.