Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill

9: After Clause 79, insert the following new Clause— ““Policing protocol (1) The Secretary of State must issue a policing protocol. (2) Each relevant person must have regard to the policing protocol in exercising the person’s functions. (3) The Secretary of State may at any time— (a) vary the policing protocol, or (b) replace the policing protocol. (4) Before varying or replacing the policing protocol, the Secretary of State must consult— (a) such persons as appear to the Secretary of State to represent the views of elected local policing bodies, (b) such persons as appear to the Secretary of State to represent the views of chief officers of police of police forces maintained by elected local policing bodies, (c) such persons as appear to the Secretary of State to represent the views of police and crime panels, and (d) such other persons as the Secretary of State thinks fit. (5) The functions of the Secretary of State under subsections (1) and (3) are exercisable by order. (6) In this section— ““police and crime panel”” means— (a) each police and crime panel established in accordance with Schedule 6 (police areas outside London); (b) the London Assembly’s police and crime panel (see section 33); ““policing protocol”” means a document which sets out, or otherwise makes provision about, ways in which relevant persons should (in the Secretary of State’s view) exercise, or refrain from exercising, functions so as to— (a) encourage, maintain or improve working relationships (including co-operative working) between relevant persons, or (b) limit or prevent the overlapping or conflicting exercise of functions; ““relevant persons”” means— (a) the Secretary of State in the exercise of policing functions; (b) each elected local policing body; (c) the chief officer of each police force maintained by an elected local policing body; (d) police and crime panels.””