§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Dungannon and South Tyrone District policing partnership will be established. [170480]
§ Mr. PearsonDungannon and South Tyrone District Policing Partnership (DPP) is the only one of the 26 DPPs yet to be established.
After very careful consideration over a period of time, and following consultation with the Northern Ireland Policing Board, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, decided to issue on 2 February a letter of direction to the Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone borough council requiring the council to establish its DPP. This action was in accordance with Section 15 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, which sets out the steps to be taken when a council has failed to set up a DPP. The letter that issued on 2 February gave the council two calendar months to reconsider its position.
1534WThe council have sought and obtained two extensions to this deadline and the new deadline for the council to comply with the direction is 28 May. It is hoped that the council will use this further period to reconsider their position and establish the DPP.