Police Powers and Procedures (Hansard, 15 May 2002)

§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker)

We are initiating a review of the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and the codes of practice issued under it. The review will be carried out jointly by the Home Office and the Cabinet Office. PACE and its codes are vital parts of the framework providing the police with powers they need to combat crime. We are determined however that this should be taken as an opportunity to reduce the administrative burdens on the police, and not allow them to be tied in procedural knots which prevent them bringing criminals to justice. We want to ensure that after nearly 20 years PACE is still a useful tool supporting the police and, if changes are needed, we will have no hesitation in making them.