Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill — Report (2nd Day) (Continued)

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 7:00 pm on 4 July 2011.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Baroness Henig Baroness Henig Labour 7:00, 4 July 2011

I understand that perfectly but it is not what I am trying to do. I want to enable the panel, in exercising strict checks and balances-which, after all, is what we are trying to do-to scrutinise the commissioner effectively. To enable that to happen, the panel should be able to ask questions of a chief constable that relate to a commissioner's performance. This is all about the scrutiny of the commissioner; it is not about holding the chief constable to account. I agree with the noble Lord that that would not be acceptable; it is not what we want to see happen. We are trying to increase the ability of the panel to scrutinise effectively. That is what we are all trying to secure.