HL Deb 19 June 1996 vol 573 cc311-3

2.45 p.m.

Lord Milverton asked Her Majesty's Government:

What measures are in place to prevent police officers suffering financial hardship as a result of long-term sickness or injuries received while on duty.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch)

My Lords, chief officers have unlimited discretion to allow full pay to any police officer who is on long-term sick leave.

Where an officer is permanently disabled from performing ordinary police duties, he or she may be retired by the police authority on medical grounds with an entitlement to an ill health gratuity or pension payable immediately upon retirement.

If the officer's permanent disablement is the result of an injury on duty, his or her ill health benefits may be further increased by an injury award of a gratuity and an injury pension.

Lord Milverton

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for her helpful Answer. I understand that the Wiltshire Constabulary has an insurance scheme for hardship cases. Do other forces in the country have similar schemes? As regards ill health benefit, is it not unfortunate if police officers are left worse off in pecuniary terms if they suffer injury, disease or sickness in the course of duty?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, I made the point to my noble friend that the sick pay provisions for the police compare favourably with those of other employees. The arrangement in Wiltshire to which he refers is run by the Police Federation. It is for individual members to join the scheme and for individual branch boards to run such schemes. I understand that many other federations have set up such schemes and their members are subscribing to them.

Lord Monkswell

My Lords, the Minister stated that if a serving police officer is on sick leave as a result of injury he receives his normal pay. Many police officers work regular overtime and, therefore, their earnings will be enhanced over their basic pay. Do chief officers have the authority to pay police officers on sick leave at the level of their previous earnings as opposed to their basic pay?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, I think that that is taking compensatory payments too far. Such officers would be paid full pay for six months, half pay for a further six months, and, as the rules stand, no pay usually after 12 months. But chief constables have been given full discretion to pay full pay for the first six months, the second six months and beyond that 12-month period. It would be difficult to include a scheme which could make judgments about the overtime that might have been worked in the course of that period and compensate for the loss. However, the discretion given to chief constables is very wide indeed.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, adequate provision for injuries incurred on duty is necessary. However, is my noble friend aware of the widespread surprise at the huge amount of compensation awarded to police after the Hillsborough tragedy? Are police today selected and trained to cope with mental stress compared with 25 years ago, when a similar tragedy occurred at Ibrox, Glasgow, with some 60 deaths, or compared with other services, including the Armed Forces, which also have to be prepared to face horrifying situations?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, I note what my noble friend said. The handling of the claims in that instance was a matter for the South Yorkshire Police Authority and was not part of the scheme to which I referred today.

Lord Dean of Beswick

My Lords, in her reply to the Question, the Minister gave detailed information on the present situation. It is that a police authority can pay a constable who is losing time at work through injury or sickness for an indefinite period. So far as I know from my experience in local government, no other people in the community enjoy that situation. They are the best terms that anyone receives. However, is it not expensive if it continues for too long? Some authorities sometimes tend to err on the wrong side and go too far. Is it possible to ensure that if a constable is injured in pursuance of his duties because of today's violent society, maximum consideration would be given?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, the noble Lord makes an interesting point. It can be expensive if the provisions are wholly indiscriminate and give the absolute maximum pay allowable to any policeman who has been injured on duty.

The reason we have given discretion to chief constables is that they are the best placed to make judgments about both the seriousness of the injury and the likelihood of the policeman returning to normal duties. Other decisions also need to be made about those who will not return to normal duties, and that will be a matter for the police authority.