HL Deb 22 July 2002 vol 638 cc79-82

2. After Clause 4, insert the following new clause—

"Directions as to action plans After section 41 of the 1996 Act there shall be inserted—

"41A Power to give directions as to action plans

  1. (1) This section applies where a report to the Secretary of State on an inspection under section 54 states, in relation to a police force for a police area—
    1. (a) that, in the opinion of the person making the report, the whole or any part of the force is, whether generally or in particular respects, not efficient or not effective; or
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    2. (b) that, in that person's opinion, the whole or a part of the force will cease to be efficient or effective, whether generally or in particular respects, unless remedial measures are taken.
  2. (2) The Secretary of State may direct the police authority responsible for maintaining the force to submit to the Secretary of State a plan ('an action plan') for taking remedial measures in relation to anything that the Secretary of State considers relevant to the matters as to which he is satisfied as mentioned in subsection (1).
  3. (3) If a police authority is directed to submit an action plan, that authority shall direct the chief officer of police of the force in question to prepare a draft of it and to submit it to the police authority for that authority to consider.
  4. (4) The police authority, on considering a draft action plan submitted to it under subsection (3) may subirtit the plan to the Secretary of State, with or without modifications.
  5. (5) If the police authority proposes to make modifications to the draft of the action plan submitted under subsection (3), it must consult with the chief officer of police.
  6. (6) On considering an action plan submitted to him in accordance with a direction under this section, the Secretary of State may, if he is of the opinion that the remedial measures contained in the action plan submitted to him are inadequate, notify the police authority and the chief officer of the force in question of that opinion and of his reasons for it.
  7. (7) If a police authority is notified under subsection (6)—
    1. (a).it shall consider, after consultation with the chief officer of the police force in question about the matters notified, whether to revise the action plan m the light of those matters; and
    2. (b).if it does revise that plan, it shall send a copy of the revised plan to the Secretary of State.
  8. (8) On giving a direction under this section to the police authority responsible for maintaining a police force, the Secretary of State shall notify the chief officer of police of that force that he has given that direction.
  9. (9) The period within which a direction to submit an action plan must be complied with is such period of not less than four weeks and not more than twelve weeks after it is given as may be specified in the direction.
  10. (10) The provision that a direction under this section may require to be included in an action plan to be submitted to the Secretary of State includes—
    1. (a) provision setting out the steps that the police authority proposes should be taken in respect of the matters to which the direction relates and the performance targets the authority proposes should be met;
    2. (b) provision setting out the authority's proposals as to the times within which those steps are to be taken and those standards to be met and the means by which the success of the plan's implementation is to be measured;
    3. (c) provision for the making of progress reports to the Secretary of State about the implementation of the action plan,
    4. (d) provision as to the tirnes at which, and the manner in which, any progress report is to be made; and
    5. (e) provision for the duration of the plan and for it to cease to apply in the circumstances determined by the Secretary of State.
  11. (11) Nothing in this section shall authorise the Secretary of State or a police authority to direct the inclusion in an action plan or draft action plan of any requirement to do or not to do anything in a particular case identified for the purposes of the requirement, or in relation to a particular person so identified.
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  12. (12) In this section references, in relation to a case in which there is already an action plan in force, to the submission of a plan to the Secretary of State include references to the submission of revisions of the existing plan; and the preceding provisions of this section shall have effect accordingly.
  13. (13) A police authority shall comply with any direction given to it under this section.
  14. (14) A chief officer of police of any police force shall comply with any direction given to him under this section.
  15. (15) Nothing in this section or in section 40 prevents the Secretary of State in the case of the same report under section 54 from exercising (whether in relation to the same matter or different matters or at the same time or at different times) both his powers under this section and his powers under section 40.

41B Procedure for directions under section 41A

  1. (1) The Secretary of State shall not give a direction under section 41A in relation to any police force unless—
    1. (a) the police authority maintaining that force and the chief officer of that force have each been given such information about the Secretary of State's grounds for proposing to give that direction as he considers appropriate for enabling them to make representations or proposals under the following paragraphs of this subsection;
    2. (b) that police authority and chief officer have each been given an opportunity of making representations about those grounds;
    3. (c) that police authority has had an opportunity of making proposals for the taking of remedial measures that would make the giving of the direction unnecessary; and
    4. (d) the Secretary of State has considered any such representations and any such proposals.
  2. (2) The Secretary of State may by regulations make further provision as to the procedure to be followed in cases where a proposal is made for the giving of a direction under section 41A.
  3. (3) Before making any regulations under this section, the Secretary of State shall consult with—
    1. (a) persons whom he considers to report the interests of police authorities;
    2. (b) persons whom he considers to represent the interests of chief officers of police; and
    3. (c) such other persons as he thinks fit.
  4. (4) Regulations under this section may make different provision for different cases and circumstances.
  5. (5) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section shall not be made unless a draft of the regulations has been laid before parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.
  6. (6) If the Secretary of State exercises his power to give a direction under section 41A in relation to a police force—
    1. (a) he shall prepare a report in his exercise of that power in relation to that force; and
    2. (b) he shall lay that report before Parliament.
  7. (7) A report under subsection (6)—
    1. (a) shall be prepared at such time as the Secretary of State considers appropriate; and
    2. (b)may relate to more than one exercise of the power mentioned in that subsection.'"

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 2.

Moved, That the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 2.—(Lord Falconer of Thoroton.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton moved, as amendments to Commons Amendment No. 2, Amendments Nos. 2A and 2B:

2A Line 14, leave out from beginning to end of line 18 and insert— (2) If the Secretary of State considers that remedial measures are required in relation to any matter identified by the report, he may direct the police authority responsible for maintaining the force to submit an action plan to him. (2A) An action plan is a plan setting out the remedial measures which the police authority proposes to take in relation to the matters in respect of which the direction is given.

2B Line 59, leave out "standards" and insert "targets"

The noble and learned Lord said: My Lords, I beg to move.

Moved, as amendments to Commons Amendment No. 2, Amendments Nos. 2A and 2B.—(Lord Falconer of Thoroton.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.