Clause 7 - Performance summaries
Police (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords]
3:30 pm
Ms Angela Smith (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Northern Ireland Office; Basildon, Labour/Co-operative)
The clause amends section 28 of the 2000 Act to provide the Policing Board with greater flexibility in the timing of the publication of the summary of past performance required under section 28(5)(c), and was drafted at the express request of the board. With effect from the next financial year, it will be at the board's discretion whether to publish a retrospective assessment and performance summary, to which the hon. Gentleman referred, with the annual report required under section 57 or with the rest of the performance plan. The substance of what has to be produced—an account of the police's performance against the efficiency target that it set itself—has not changed. The only change is to allow flexibility for when it is published and the context in which it is published.
The hon. Member for Spelthorne stressed that amendments Nos. 18 and 19 were particularly important to him. I appreciate his point about an annual review, but it is for the board to determine when it reviews the arrangements and to decide which arrangements are necessary to meet its duty to secure continuous improvement. It would be wrong of us to restrict its flexibility in that respect.
Amendment No. 20 would require the Chief Constable's agreement to those arrangements to be sought. I understand the hon. Gentleman's reason for tabling it, but it would run contrary to the commitment that the Government gave during consideration of the 2000 Act to give the board a central role in delivering efficiency and effectiveness. It is not to hamper the Chief Constable in operational matters.
Section 28 of the 2000 Act places the duty to make arrangements to make continuous improvements in the exercise of the functions of the board and the police squarely on the board. It is the board's responsibility, and the board and the Chief Constable are required to review their functions as part of those arrangements. The board is required to produce a single performance plan for itself and the police on how best value is to be delivered. It is also required to set targets and benchmarks against which performance can be judged.
In all those arrangements, the Government's intention is that the board and Chief Constable should work together to deliver best value. In particular, the board will be required to work closely with the police in drawing up targets and producing performance plans. I know that this is happening, and that the police are gearing up to their own internal continuous improvement plans. In view of my explanation that responsibility lies with the board, I ask the hon. Gentleman to withdraw his amendment.