§ Mr. ButcherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make it his policy to permit disciplinary procedures to be pursued against a police officer even if that officer is unable to attend the hearing due to sickness; [26294]
(2) if he will change police discipline regulations and the regulations governing sickness so that the latter may not prevent proceeding with the former. [26295]
§ Mr. MacleanThe present provisions governing police discipline do not prevent discipline procedures from being pursued in respect of an officer who is sick and allow a disciplinary hearing to take place, if necessary, in the absence of a sick officer, subject to certain safeguards.
§ Mr. ButcherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the names of the private consultants who have certified the inability of an officer of the West Midlands police to attend disciplinary hearings; [26293]
127W(2) how many officers from the West Midlands police force who have retired on sick pension in the last two years did so when they were subject to disciplinary investigation or charges; [26296]
(3) how many police officers have retired on sick pension from the West Midlands police force in the last two years. [26297]
§ Mr. MacleanUnder the terms of the Police Pensions Regulations 1987, medical retirement provisions are administered locally by police authorities. A record is not kept centrally of a police officer's medical consultants nor of the number and circumstances of ill-health retirements.
§ Mr. MullinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to stop police facing disciplinary charges from retiring early on medical grounds in order to avoid the completion of disciplinary proceedings. [25741]
§ Mr. MacleanA police officer may retire from the service on grounds of disablement only if he or she is required by the police authority concerned to do so. This applies whether or not the officer faces disciplinary charges.