Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill (Programme) (No. 2)

I do not have time, I am afraid. As we envisage the situation, the public will be able to decide whether to go with the police and crime commissioner's precept, but only when a precept is excessive. Under the changes that my hon. Friend the Member for Rochester and Strood proposes, however, the public would decide every time a panel vetoed a precept, unless the commissioner and the panel were able to reach an agreement within two weeks of the vote. We have not gone down that route, despite considering it very carefully, because referendums are very expensive and the police and crime commissioner would have to pay for them on each occasion. If the commissioner's amended precept is not excessive within the Localism Bill definition, regulations will require the proposal to go again before the panel. Following that, the police and crime commissioner will be able to set the precept without a referendum. He or she or must consider the panel's recommendations. Where the panel has voted again to reject that precept, he or she must publish the panel's alternative precept and its reasons and must set out in the same document why he or she did not implement the panel's proposals. I accept that the public must have a role in deciding what precept they pay, and under our policy they will have one, or potentially two, opportunities to do this—once when they elect their police and crime commissioner, and again when a police and crime commissioner sets an excessive precept. Debate interrupted (Programme Order, this day). The Speaker put forthwith the Question already proposed from the Chair (Standing Order No. 83E), That the clause be read a Second time. Question negatived. The Speaker then put forthwith the Questions necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded at that time (Standing Order No. 83E).