§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) who is responsible for the allocation of places between appointing authorities to police authorities to ensure political proportionality of local authority members; [5096]
(2) what rules underpin the appointment of local authority members to police authorities covering more than one county to ensure political proportionality; [5095]
(3) how the rules governing political proportionality of local authority appointees to police authorities apply to the number of (a) appointees of each political party from each appointing authority and (b) councillors of each party in the police authority's area, in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Police Authority; and how they applied before 7 June. [5097]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 19 July 2001]: The procedures for the appointment of members of police authorities by relevant councils are set out in schedule 2 of the Police Act 1996, as amended by section 105 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.
In the case of a police authority, such as Hampshire, where there is more than one relevant council, councillor members are appointed to the police authority by a joint committee appointed by the relevant councils from among their own members.
The number of members of the joint committee and the numbers appointed by each relevant council is for agreement by the relevant councils or, in the absence of an agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.
Section 105 of the Police and Criminal Justice Act 2001, which came into effect on 19 June 2001, clarifies the question of political balance on police authorities. It requires councils, or joint committees, to ensure that, so far as practicable, the proportion of members from any political party appointed to the police authority is the same as the proportion of those members on the council, or relevant councils taken as a whole. Any other places on the police authority must then be allocated to councillors who are not members of a political party.