§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends bringing into force the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe first stage in the implementation of the Act took place on 1 January 1985. The provisions that came into effect on that date included section 106, which requires arrangements to be made in each police area for obtaining the views of the community on policing, certain miscellaneous provisions which it was convenient to bring into effect in advance of the major parts of the Act, and certain provisions of section 1 necessary to continue existing stop and search powers in those parts of the country which had hitherto exercised such powers under local legislation (and applying only to those areas).
The second stage of implementation will principally include part IX of the Act which establishes the Police Complaints Authority and other changes to the police complaints system. It has been necessary to defer the start of part IX a little beyond 1 April, in order to assist the consideration by the Police Advisory Board of the draft regulations needed to introduce the new scheme.
The third stage will continue the outstanding provisions of parts I to VIII—with the exception of subsections (11) to (14) of section 37, which are dependent upon provisions of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 not yet in force, and section 60, which provides for the tape recording of police interviews with suspects and which will be subject to a separate programme of implementation in the light of the progress of the field trials now taking place in various police areas.
The date for the third stage of implementation to which my right hon. and learned Friend has asked forces to work is 1 January 1986, which is also the date on which he proposes to ask Parliament to agree that the four codes of practice which section 66 requires him to issue shall come into force.