HL Deb 11 December 1990 vol 524 cc386-7

3 p.m.

Lord Molloy asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps are being taken to implement the provisions of the report on police working patterns.

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, proposals to amend police regulations, in order to make provision for more flexible rostering and shift patterns, are shortly to be considered by the Police Negotiating Board.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for that encouraging reply, especially as the report's proposals on performance measurement and efficiency checks on police throughout the country have been welcomed by senior police officers. I am sure that senior police officers would endorse what the noble Earl has said. These steps will provide an opportunity for the police to improve themselves and to have better representation made on their behalf to the general public.

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that statement. I do not think it requires an answer as it was not a question.

Lord Richard

My Lords, I apologise to the noble Earl for croaking at him this afternoon. Has he decided which seven police forces will take part in the experiment in relation to the Cullen report? As I understand the position, the report, which was drawn up by a Home Office police research unit, recommended flexible working. The Home Office has apparently said that seven police forces will take part in an experiment to make better use of staff. Has the noble Earl chosen the seven police forces?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, this is a quite complicated issue. It was discussed at the Police Advisory Board the other day and will now have to be discussed at the Police Negotiating Board. My right honourable friend is deciding how best to progress the discussion on the principle of more flexible rostering. It is a complicated issue. I cannot give the noble Lord the answer which he seeks.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, does the noble Earl agree that people who suffer burglaries should be better informed as to what progress the police are making in recovering what has been stolen? Does he further agree that there is a need to have better community relations between the police and the general public? Is that not part of the report which the Home Office should implement?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, I agree that it is important that people should be given more information about burglaries. I agree also that there should be better community relations. The main onus of the report concerns how better to roster police time so as to use it more efficiently in order to benefit the police and the managers. As an example, chief constables currently have to let officers know their leave times 12 months in advance. That is a fairly antiquated system.

Baroness Seear

My Lords, does the noble Earl agree that it might be a waste of time to ask the police to tell people who have been burgled the progress in finding the loot? After all, either the police have found it or they have not. As someone who has been burgled 18 times, I do not want to be told by the police over and over again that they have not found my property.

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, I am sorry to hear of the noble Baroness's terrible experience. If she had such an experience and the police found the burglar she would no doubt be delighted to know that they had found her property.

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