§ Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Government policy towards police officers taking early retirement while disciplinary charges are pending. [22782]
§ Mr. DenhamThe Government believe that it is unacceptable for sickness or medical retirement to be used as a means of avoiding discipline. Regulations allow for disciplinary hearings to go ahead in the absence of the accused, although the power is not used very frequently. It will require strong support from the centre—which we will provide—and firm management action to use the existing power to proceed with hearings in all but the most exceptional cases. We will amend the central guidance and, if necessary, the statutory regulations to achieve this. Where medical retirement is at issue, the police authority should consider whether it would be right to exercise its discretion not to retire the officer where the public interest in completing the proceedings in a misconduct case outweighs the medical condition.