Clause 17 - Chief Constable's functions
Police (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords]
2:30 pm
I, too, welcome you to the Chair, Mr. Gale, and thank you for the leniency with regard to jackets. It was just a pity that it did not apply to ties.
I spent some time prior to the lunch break trying to establish the difference in legal terms between ''take account of'' and ''have regard to''. I was working on the assumption that, with the legal expertise that surrounded me, there would be a clear answer that I, as a lay person, should have seen long ago. I still await that. I have no doubt that the Minister will try to put the matter right when she replies.
I believe that that is important because, in relation to the clause, the revised implementation plan—in other words, that which stemmed from Weston Park—states on page 9:
''The Government intends, after the planned review, to amend the Act to provide that the Chief Constable shall take account of the policing plan.''
The phrase ''take account'' has been used in other parts of the Bill, but the clause contains the term ''have regard to''.
I listened with interest to what the right hon. Member for Solihull (Mr. Taylor) said about the juxtaposition—