§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what kind of information is received by the police national reporting centre; and from which sources.
§ Mr. HurdThe centre, when activated, receives information which it needs to co-ordinate responses to requests from chief officers of police in England and Wales for assistance from their colleagues. The information comes from chief officers.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the police national reporting centre has power to take the initiative in moving police officers from one police area to another.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the police national reporting centre responds solely to requests for reinforcements originated by individual chief constables.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers is employed at the national reporting centre; by whom he is employed; and how many working days per year it is anticipated that he will spend at the national reporting centre.
§ Mr. HurdThe president of the association works at the centreex officio. As chief constable of Humberside he is not an employee, but is the holder of an office under the Crown. It is not possible to predict for how many days, if any, in a year the centre may need to be open or how much of his time the president will decide to devote to his duties there.
609W
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the police national reporting centre has been used; and what has been its function on each occasion.
§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the police national reporting centre was established; and what is its intended role.
§ Mr. HurdArrangements for a national reporting centre were first made in 1972. Its main purposes were and are to help in the national co-ordination of aid between chief officers of police in England and Wales, under section 14 of the Police Act 1964, so that the best use is made of manpower and to provide the Home Secretary with information, in the same way as he receives reports from individual chief officers, to help him discharge his responsibilities for law and order.
Between 21 October 1980 and 27 February 1981 the centre acted as a national information centre, co-ordinating information to help chief officers of police make the best use of accommodation for prisoners excluded from prison department establishments by industrial action by the Prison Officers' Association. Between 6 July and 19 August 1981, the centre coordinated the responses to requests from chief officers for assistance from their colleagues, in policing the civil disturbances of that summer. Between 27 May and 2 June 1982, the centre helped to co-ordinate mutual aid between forces, for the Pope's visit. Since 14 March this year, the centre has co-ordinated the responses to requests from chief officers for assistance from their colleagues in policing related to the miners' dispute.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the police national reporting centre has a role in co-ordinating the work of police forces other than those maintained by police authorities.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the annual cost of the police national reporting centre; and what is its source of funding.
§ Mr. HurdNo annual costing is available. Staffing the centre is part of the ordinary duties of those concerned, and their salaries are met in the usual way.
§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the police national reporting centre has an involvement in home defence exercises.
§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances the controller of the police national reporting centre has power to refuse to comply with the request of a chief constable for extra police officers.
§ Mr. HurdThe centre has a co-ordinating role, to enable the best use to be made of manpower. For this purpose it may need to establish priorities, but it does not have authority to order, or to refuse to allow, one police force to assist another.