Policing and Crime Bill

Clause 11 extends the Secretary of State’s power to make regulations to require police forces to adopt certain procedures and practices. At present, regulations can be made in respect of all forces only where in the opinion of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and the Secretary of State such regulations are necessary to support joint or co-ordinated police operations and are in the national interest. The proposed change allows regulations to be made in respect of one or more forces. It also allows the regulations to be made where in the opinion of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and the Secretary of State the adoption of practices or procedures will promote the efficiency and effectiveness of a police force and are in the national interest. This clause further strengthens the ability of the Secretary of State to provide a regulatory basis for convergence in support of the information systems strategy. It has been our experience historically that the cost of developing common IT applications in policing has increased where there has been no agreement over common business processes. As in the case of Clause 10, we do not expect that such regulations will be made frequently. This provision is nevertheless valuable and necessary to improve information systems in policing. It is quite focused. Regulations under Section 53A could however also be used more generally to support the recommendations in Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s Review of Policing for more efficient and effective police business processes that would help to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, improve police procurement and create a national set of standardised forms. Clause 12 is the last of three clauses which are intended to give the Secretary of State more flexible regulation-making powers in support of a common approach to the development of information systems and services in the police service. This clause will enable the Secretary of State to make regulations in respect of the use by one or more police forces of specific services. Regulations will be made only where the Secretary of State, having consulted the Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers, considers them to be in the interest of efficiency and effectiveness of the police. The power already exists if applied to all police forces at once. This provision allows the flexibility to make regulations that apply, for example, to one region. The circumstances in which this power might be used would be if there were benefit in a collaborating group of forces using a shared information service—for example, a common secure storage service for digital evidence. Again, we hope that agreement to do so would be done by voluntary agreement on the strength of the business case, but it is possible to envisage circumstances in which the benefit to a larger group of forces might justify an element of mandation. Clause 11 agreed. Clause 12 : Police facilities and services Amendment 44 not moved. Clause 12 agreed.