§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the powers special constables have in police authority areas other than their own; and what plans he has to revise the statutes governing those powers. [145855]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe powers of a special constable in a police authority area other than their own are set out in the Police Act 1996 at Part 1, Section 30(2), (3) and (4). The Act states that:
- (2) A special constable shall have all the powers and privileges of a constable in the police area for which he is appointed and, where the boundary of that area includes the coast, in the adjacent United Kingdom waters.
- (3) Without prejudice to subsection (2), a special constable appointed for a police area shall have all the powers and privileges of a constable:
- (a) in the case of a special constable appointed for a police area other than the City of London police area, in any other police area which is contiguous to his own police area; and
209W - (b) in the case of a special constable appointed for the City of London police area, in the Metropolitan police district and in any police area which is contiguous to that district.
- (4) A special constable who is for the time being required by virtue of section 23 or 24 of the Police Act 1996 to serve with another police force shall have all the powers and privileges of a constable in any area in which special constables appointed for the area for which that force is maintained have those powers and privileges under this section.
There are no current plans to revise the Police Act 1996.