HC Deb 13 December 1979 vol 975 cc1525-7
18. Mr. Straw

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the present powers and duties of chief constables and police authorities.

Mr. Whitelaw

Yes, Sir. I believe that the Police Act 1964 continues to provide the right framework.

Mr. Straw

Is the Home Secretary aware that when his predecessor, Henry Brooke, introduced the Police Bill in 1963 he said that its aim was to make chief constables fully accountable for what they did. In practice, this has not worked. There is now an unsatisfactory relationship between some police authorities and their chief constables. Will the Home Secretary look carefully at the Police Authorities (Powers) Bill that I am sponsoring in the House? It aims to give police authorities more power in respect of general policing policies, without interfering with the rightful discretion of chief constables over day-to-day operational matters.

Mr. Whitelaw

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his last remarks. The operational independence of chief constables is extremely important. It is a principle that I hope the House will fully support. There are, of course, arguments about the relationship between chief constables and police authorities. Arguments in our national life, at all levels and in many different fields, are not unusual. Arguments in this field are equally not unusual. I should not wish to change the present procedure which, on balance, works well throughout the country.

Mr. Thompson

I thank my right hon. Friend for his interest and concern in the matter in the past, but is he sure that the West Yorkshire police authority has sufficient powers and resources to catch the Yorkshire Ripper?

Mr. Whitelaw

That is basically a matter for the operational control of the chief constable of West Yorkshire. I visited the West Yorkshire police recently and spoke to the chief constable and the chairman of the police authority. On their own initiative they asked someone from the Metropolitan Police to investigate the situation. I fully support the work that they are doing. I looked into their work and saw what they were doing. The House can only hope that their considerable efforts will lead to some success.

Mr. Meacher

Is not the right hon. Gentleman disturbed at the recent remark of Mr. James Anderton, the chief constable of the Manchester area, that he so disapproves of the Sex Discrimination Act that, if necessary, he would disobey it? Contrary to what Mr. Anderton says, does the right hon. Gentleman agree that extending the powers of police authorities is in no way seeking political control over the police but is, rather, seeking democratic accountability of the police, including chief officers, which at present is almost wholly lacking?

Mr. Whitelaw

I do not accept that the accountability of chief constables to their police authorities is wholly lacking. As regards the comments of particular chief constables, I would only say this: thank goodness it is a matter for which I am not responsible and on which I do not have to reply.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

Will the right hon. Gentleman say why he appears to have rejected out of hand guidelines for improved disciplinary procedures for chief officers put forward by his immediate predecessor?

Mr. Whitelaw

I do not think that I have done so.