§ LORD O'HAGANMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
[The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose to disband the Police Federation.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD WINDLESHAM)No, my Lords.
§ LORD O'HAGANMy Lords, may I take it from that Answer that Her Majesty's Government are reasonably satisfied with the way the Police Federation is carrying out its statutory duties?
§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, the Police Federation is consulted regularly and frequently by my right honourable friend when matters which affect its members' interests are being considered. These consultations can take the form either of informal meetings or of formal consultations in the Police Council, the Police 2 Advisory Board or the numerous committees and working parties set up under these two consultative bodies.
§ LORD O'HAGANMy Lords, I beg noble Lord aware that the position from his side of the desk looks a little different? Can he give an undertaking that his certainty that this consultation is done fully is shared by the Police Federation? Or is it an indication of the view of Her Majesty's Government on consultation with the Police that the Police Advisory Committee has not met since last October?
§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, the Police Advisory Board, to which I think the noble Lord is referring, has in recent years met about once a year; it is next due to meet on July 19. But there are a number of standing committees, working parties and ad hoc working groups on which the Federation is represented that are in session between formal meetings of the full Board.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, if the noble Lord had given a different answer to the Question, have the Government any power at all to abolish this excellent and highly responsible body which represents all ranks of the police?
§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, I agree with the tenor of what the noble Lord has said. Parliamentary approval would be needed; it would be necessary to repeal Section 44 of the Police Act 1964, and my right honourable friend has no intention of doing that.
§ LORD O'HAGANMy Lords, may I ask one more supplementary question? 3 Can the noble Lord explain to me, in my innocence, why the view from his position is so different from that expressed by the Police Federation? Is there some breakdown in communications here?
§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, I am not aware of the feeling of discontent to which the noble Lord refers. My right honourable friend saw the Federation himself—not through the Police Advisory Board or the Police Council—on July 1. The purpose of this meeting with representatives of the Federation was to dicuss police boundaries in the context of local government reform. There is close and continuing consultation.