Ministry Police (Hansard, 21 October 1993)

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names and titles of the Ministry of Defence Police Committee.

§ Mr. Hanley
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 18 October,Official Report, columns 64–65.

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons for and extent of the changes he is proposing for the Ministry of Defence Police Committee; and when he intends to table the statutory instrument giving effect to those changes.

§ Mr. Hanley
From time to time the composition of the Ministry of Defence Police Committee needs to change to reflect departmental reorganisations. Two such changes are set out in the answer I gave the hon. Member on 18 October,Official Report, columns 64–65. In addition, to reflect the strategic management board arrangements for the Ministry of Defence Police when it becomes a Defence Agency and to avoid having two committees, we are proposing to augment the police committee by conferring full member status on the chief constable, the deputy chief constable and head of the secretariat, subject to satisfactory legal opinion. The statutory instrument will be tabled shortly after legal advice has been given.

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make it his policy to permit the Ministry of Defence Police Federation to send observers to those parts of the meetings of the Ministry of Defence Police Committee which do not relate to individual cases, or pay negotiations, and whose business is comparable to those agenda items of county police committees that would normally be considered in public under part I of the agenda;
(2) when the Ministry of Defence Police Federation were last invited to attend a meeting of the Ministry of Defence Police Committee.

§ Mr. Hanley
The Ministry of Defence Police Committee is different from a county police committee. While it is not considered appropriate that observers from the Ministry of Defence Police Federation should attend on a regular basis it has been acknowledged that there many be occasions when, at the discretion of the chairman and committee members, the Defence Police Federation could be invited to attend should it be considered appropriate..

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects Sir John Blelloch's committee of inquiry into the Ministry of Defence police to commence its work; and when he expects it will make its report.

§ Mr. Hanley
I expect the committee to begin its work as soon as terms of reference and membership have been finalised and after my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has announced the Government's response to Sir Patrick Sheehy's committee's report on police responsibilities and rewards. The committee is expected to report as soon as it has completed its work.
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§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the report of the committee of inquiry into the Ministry of Defence police will be published.

§ Mr. Hanley
Yes, although it is too soon to speculate on the form this will take.

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will name and give the background of members of the Blelloch committee of inquiry into the Ministry of Defence police together with the name and address of the committee's secretary.

§ Mr. Hanley
No. The committee secretary has yet to be appointed, but meanwhile any submissions to the review team may be addressed through the chief constable, Ministry of Defence police.

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he proposes to set up the Ministry of Defence police agency.

§ Mr. Hanley
As I announced to the House on 19 October,Official Report, column 171, our plans envisage the Ministry of Defence police being the next support organisation to become a defence agency.

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation there has been with the Ministry of Defence Police Federation about(a) the contents of the draft statutory instrument relating to the proposed amendments to the police committee's constitution and (b) the membership and terms of reference of the Blellock committee of inquiry into the Ministry of Defence police.

§ Mr. Hanley
No consultation with the Ministry of Defence Police Federation has taken place on the contents of the draft statutory instrument relating to the proposed amendments to the police committee's membership; nor is it appropriate. My Department wrote to the Ministry of Defence Police Federation last month about the committee of inquiry and the draft terms of reference will be discussed with it before finalisation.