HL Deb 11 May 1998 vol 589 cc96-8WA
The Earl of Haddington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 21 April (WA 199), why they omitted to place in the Official Report the table of funds or assistance contributed by each police authority requested for the years 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97 that was given to the Association of Chief Police Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; and whether they will now place this table in the Official Report; and [HL1646]

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 21 April (WA 199), whether they will publish in the Official Report a full copy of the accounts of:

  1. (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers, England, Wales and Northern Ireland; and
  2. (b) the Association of Chief Police Officers, Scotland; for the last year for which the accounts are available; and [HL1647]

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 16 March (WA 104), whether they were aware in advance of the payment of £10,000 to the setting up of the Chief Police Officers Staff Association (CPOSA); what reasons were given by the Association of Chief Police Officers, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, when requesting the funds; to what other trade unions and staff associations does the Home Office contribute financially; and how much has been contributed by the Home Office to CPOSA since the Association of Chief Police Officers became incorporated as a limited company on 1 April 1997. [HL1648]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)

In my Written Answer on 21 April (WA 199), I explained to the noble Lord that the contributions to the costs of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) secretariat were made under the common police service funding arrangements. The funding arrangements for the common police services have changed in recent years. In 1994–95 the police authorities' contribution was 49 per cent. of the total net cost of common police services. This was apportioned between police authorities on the basis of a per capita charge based on the authorised establishment of each force. From 1995–96 to 1997–98, the costs of common police services were taken into account when the level of police grant was set for police authorities. From 1996–97, police authorities have made voluntary contributions towards the costs of the ACPO secretariat.

I refer the noble Lord to my Written Answer on 2 April 1998 (WA 64) in respect of the Association of Chief Police Officers for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and my noble friend Lord Sewel's Written Answer on 1 April 1998 (WA 35) in respect of the Association of Chief Police Officers for Scotland, concerning the most recent accounts for these two organisations. This remains the most recent information available.

The payment of £10,000 made by the Association of Chief Police Officers for England, Wales and Northern Ireland to the costs of setting up the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association is a matter for ACPO.

The Home Office contributes to the salaries of national officials and some running costs of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, to similar costs of the Police Federation of England and Wales and separately to the individual constituent bodies of the staff side to the Police Negotiating Board for the United Kingdom, i.e. the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association, the Superintendents' Associations of England and Wales and Northern Ireland, the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, the Police Federations of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in respect of their administration and travelling and subsistence costs.

The Home Office will contribute £2,000 towards the costs of CPOSA in connection with its staff side activities of the Police Negotiating Board in 1998–99.