HC Deb 15 February 1977 vol 926 cc137-8W
Mr. Eldon Griffiths

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if, in pursuance of the undertakings given by Ministers during the Second Reading and Committee stage proceedings of the Police Act 1976, he will bring forward a regulation, to coincide with its coming into effect, entitling any police officer who is the object of an unfounded complaint and against whom no disciplinary proceedings are taken to receive a full copy of any letter of accusation against him.

(2) if he will ensure that regulations made under the Police Act 1976 to enable a police officer against whom unfounded accusations are made, to appeal to the Secretary of State against any unreasonable refusal on the part of a chief officer to disclose to him in full the text of letters of complaint against him.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I am considering, in consultation with the police and local authority representative bodies, how best to give effect in the regulaions to be made under the Police Act 1976 to my predecessor's undertaking of 15th July 1975—[Vol. 895, c. 427–8]—that a copy of the complaint would be made available to the officer concerned at his request and after the case is closed, if it would not, in the particular circumstances of the case, be contrary to public interest to do so.