Policing and Crime Bill

My Lords, I recognise the concern behind Amendment 11. However, I do not believe that this point needs further clarification in statute. The Local Government Act 1972 permits police authorities to establish joint committees and to discharge their functions jointly through them. A discharge of the function of holding a chief officer to account for his collaborative work, as set out in Section 23D, via a joint committee is, therefore, permitted. The chief officer failing to recognise the authority of such a committee would be in breach of his duties, which for the avoidance of doubt may be set out in the provisions of the collaboration agreement. I would be happy to ensure that this position was clarified further in the statutory guidance to which chief officers must also have regard. I would add that the guidance will provide advice which the police authorities are helping to draft on the best ways in which they should structure their governance of collaborations under different circumstances. Amendment 15 seeks to make changes to the Local Government Act 1982 in order to permit the delegation of functions from one police authority to another. When this matter was debated in Committee, I assured the noble Baroness that it should be explored further. Those discussions are continuing between the Home Office, the Association of Police Authorities and the individual police authorities. There is considerable pressure for more to be done to enable joint procurement and for policing to run more smoothly—not least coming from me. I was appalled by how poor the linkages for procurement were. There is a great deal of pressure to do something, and perhaps I may get back to the noble Baroness, Lady Neville-Jones, about whether the issue can be delegated. I am not sure about the answer to that, but I hope that it has been examined because it is so important. I would ask that the discussions between the Home Office and the Association of Police Authorities should be allowed to conclude before the most appropriate solution is taken up. I am absolutely certain that we need to make a move in this area. During Committee, the noble Baronesses, Lady Harris and Lady Henig, proposed that this constraint in the Local Government Act should be repealed in full. It might be that such a straightforward way ahead might be best, but we need to examine that before making a decision. I again undertake to seek to address the issue, which is recognised as a stumbling block for police authorities wishing to work better in collaboration with each other, as quickly as possible. On that basis, and in the light of my reassurance on the joint discharge of accountability functions, I would ask that the amendment be withdrawn.