§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will state in detail the steps that the Police Authority for Northern Ireland has taken or is planning in order to improve consultation and relations between the police and the public in line with arrangements for England and Wales, following the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Lyell)The Police Authority for Northern Ireland are seeking to improve894WA the system of police/public consultation in Northern Ireland. In 1984, a Police Authority Working Group recommended that a system of local consultation, via committees based on, and drawing their core membership from, district councils should be established; and the operation of those committees should be broadly in line with the recommendations of Lord Scarman.
The Police Authority has discussed its proposals with local authorities and has secured general acceptance of the main principles. However, progress towards implementation of the arrangements has been delayed by the current disruption of district councils.
The Government are considering whether and how comparable police and criminal evidence legislation should be adopted within the ordinary law in Northern Ireland. We agree in general that such legislation should provide statutory authority to introduce arrangements for consultation between the police and the public broadly in line with those adopted in England and Wales, and taking account of the difficulties of policing in Northern Ireland and the known views of district councils.