Bermuda (Hansard, 20 January 1995)

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the criteria for selection for the position of commissioner of police and deputy commissioner of police in the overseas dependent territory of Bermuda.

§ Mr. Baldry
It is that the officers should be qualified and experienced with the ability to introduce the most modern administration, management and policing techniques to see that the Bermuda police service provides efficient and effective policing, responsive to the needs of the community.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures are being used to select the successful candidates for the positions of commissioner and deputy commissioner of police in Bermuda; and which individuals will be involved in their selection.

§ Mr. Baldry
In accordance with section 87 of the Bermuda constitution, the appointments are made by the Governor in consultation with the Public Service Commission.
A shortlist of eight Association of Chief Police Officers candidates was prepared by the ODA senior police adviser in consultation with Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary and the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Preliminary interviews of these candidates were conducted by the deputy Governor, the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs and the ODA senior police adviser. Three of the eight were selected to travel to Bermuda for a final interview.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the present salaries of the commissioner of police and the assistant commissioner of police in Bermuda; and what are the proposed salaries for both posts for their replacements.

§ Mr. Baldry
The present salaries are $110,465 and $88,644 respectively. The proposed salaries are the same.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if native Bermudians may apply for all vacant posts in the administration of Bermuda.

§ Mr. Baldry
Yes. Bermudians are the first source for candidates for all vacant posts in the public service in Bermuda.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the current vacancies in Bermuda for the posts of commissioner and deputy commissioner are open to(a) suitably qualified Bermudans, (b) suitably qualified candidates from other dependent territories, (c) suitably qualified candidates from the Caribbean and other areas in the region and (d) suitably qualified candidates from Africa.

§ Mr. Baldry
Yes. All vacancies are open to suitably qualified candidates. Priority is given to Bermudians where possible. In this particular instance, in the absence of any suitably qualified Bermudian candidates, the 747W Governor and Government decided to recruit from the UK.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the country policy plan for the overseas dependent territory of Bermuda.

§ Mr. Baldry
There is no country policy plan for Bermuda. Country policy plans are draw up for those Caribbean dependent territories which are recipients of aid from Her Majesty's Government.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will place in the Library the report produced by Lionel Grundy on the Bermudan police force in 1994; what assessment he has made of the effect of the report on morale of the Bermudan police force; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Baldry
The report was compiled by HM inspector-general of the dependent territories constabulary, following a request from the Governor of Bermuda. The report is confidential to the Governor and Government of Bermuda and will not, therefore, be placed in the Library.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's position regarding the recruitment of non-Bermudian policemen at all ranks to the Bermuda police force.

§ Mr. Baldry
No. That is a matter for the Governor and the Government of Bermuda.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs where the advertisements for the posts of commissioner and deputy commissioner of police in the overseas dependent territory of Bermuda have been placed.

§ Mr. Baldry
The posts were not advertised in this instance and, because of the need to fill the posts with reasonable expedition, the Governor and Government decided to recruit from the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) which posts in the overseas dependent territory of Bermuda have been reserved specifically for expatriate white Britons;
(2) what representations he or the Governor of Bermuda have received from opposition parties in Bermuda regarding the replacements for the commissioner and deputy commissioner of police; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Baldry
None.