Clause 15 - Role of local authority overview and scrutiny committees
Police and Justice Bill
2:15 pm
Nick Herbert (Shadow Minister (Police Reform), Home Affairs; Arundel and South Downs, Conservative)
I am not. I had not mentioned enforceability—the specific point that I am now raising, and which was raised by the Association of Police Authorities. That is a serious matter and I do not think that the hon. Lady should be shaking her head. I am entitled to respond to the Minister’s dismissal of my suggestion.
I was not entirely persuaded by what the Minister said about accountability, because she used different words from those used in the Home Office’s guidance, which says that the primary accountability for crime and disorder reduction partnerships will be to the local authority overview and scrutiny committee. I think therefore that we have successfully made the point that there is a potential conflict. Her response did not seem to be consistent with the Home Office’s guidance, which we will read carefully. The potential bureaucratic overlap will have to be examined.
Finally, I shall respond briefly to the Minister’s general points about community empowerment. We are happy to support the mechanism for a community call to action. However, it is subject to our earlier deliberations in Committee that it was no substitute for proper local accountability, which should be achieved through the ballot box. [Interruption.] The Minister says from a sedentary position, “Elected chief constables.” We have never suggested that chief constables should be elected.