Hazel Blears (Minister of State (Policing, Security and Community Safety), Home Office; Salford, Labour)

I beg to move amendment No. 80, in clause 15, page 13, line 36, at end insert

‘and to the police authority for the police area in which the locality to which the proposal relates is situated.’.

Eric Forth (Bromley & Chislehurst, Conservative)

With this it will be convenient to discuss Government amendment No. 81.

Hazel Blears (Minister of State (Policing, Security and Community Safety), Home Office; Salford, Labour)

Clause 15 sets out the functions of the chief officer of police in relation to the designation of zones. Subsection (1) makes it the duty of a local authority to consider whether to make a proposal. The amendments would reinforce the role of police authorities, which are responsible for the effective and efficient policing of their areas. Clearly, in an alcohol disorder zone there will be extra policing, for which a charge will be made, through the charging provisions. Therefore, it is right that the police authority as well as the local authority should be involved in the procedure for designating an alcohol disorder zone.