Policing and Crime Bill

The provision of the proposed new subsection requires police forces and authorities to reach a mutual agreement in order to dissolve a collaboration venture. They must therefore show a degree of commitment that I believe collaborations require. That protects the group as a whole from the dangers of losing a partner, and I argue that it is more important to protect the group than to allow each party the freedom to unilaterally withdraw once that agreement has been made. If one party were to withdraw, it would leave the rest to try to make new arrangements work, or the collaboration might collapse altogether. If the investment made by any party to a collaboration agreement were vulnerable to the sudden withdrawal of another party, the risks could seriously damage the chances of the opportunity being taken forward. Equally, it could be argued that if the participants were not prepared to make this commitment, the case for a particular collaboration may need to be questioned. It is vital to be able to trust partners in a collaboration agreement where significant resources may be committed and they might well have had to commit those resources to this collaboration. If the amendment were to be accepted, it could result in police forces not engaging in collaboration agreements where they would be beneficial, or in minor disagreements resulting in agreements falling apart; whereas the clause as it stands means that the parties involved have to take these seriously. It therefore has benefit because it makes sure that the parties are committed to it, they are fully locked in and there will not be any loss or waste of resources in terms of value for money. In the light of this, I ask that the amendment be withdrawn.