To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police and crime commissioners are required to publish an annual Police, Crime and Victims plan.

Police and Crime Plans are an important strategic planning tool for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and were introduced as a statutory requirement for commissioners as part of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. Section 5 of that Act stipulates that a PCC must issue a new Police and Crime plan as soon as practicable after taking office – a commissioner may also vary an existing plan or issue a new one at any time, the frequency with which this is done is determined on the basis of local need.

Alongside this, section 7 of that Act requires PCCs to set out the victims’ services that are planned for the rest of the period that the PCC will hold office in their police and crime plan. PCCs are also required to produce an annual report at the end of each financial year to provide the public with an update on the progress which has been made in meeting the police and crime objectives contained within the plan and the victims and witness services that have been commissioned and provided (section 12 of that Act).