Tony WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police authorities were in existence on 1 April 2000, and if they are(a) statutorily required to publish annual reports, (b) statutorily required to publish annual accounts, (c) subject to the jurisdiction of the parliamentary or local government Ombudsman, (d) subject to audit by the National Audit Office, (e) subject to audit by the Audit Commission, (f) statutorily required to admit the public to committee meetings, (g) statutorily required to hold public meetings, (h) statutorily required to publish the agendas of meetings, (i) statutorily required to publish the minutes of meetings, (j) statutorily required to publish the papers or documents for meetings, (k) statutorily required to keep and make publicly available a register of Members' interests, (l) statutorily required to consult and report to local authorities in their areas on their plans and policies and (m) statutorily subject to scrutiny by local authorities in their areas of operation. [142400]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThere were 41 police authorities in existence in England and Wales, outside London, on 1 April. The Metropolitan Police Authority was established 49W on 1 July 2000. The main legislative provisions relating to police authorities are incorporated in the Police Act 1996, the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994 and various items of local government legislation. Police authorities are statutorily required to publish annual reports and annual accounts. They are subject to the jurisdiction of the Local Government Ombudsman, but not the Parliamentary Ombudsman. They are subject to audit by the Audit Commission, but not by the National Audit Office. Section 100 of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Access to Information Act 1984 sets out the legislative position regarding public access to meetings and documents relating to those meetings. Police authorities are statutorily required to admit the Public to committee meetings, but not to hold additional public meetings. They are also statutorily required to publish the agendas, minutes and papers or documents for meetings. The public can be excluded from meetings during consideration of exempt items (as outlined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972) and papers relating to such items may also be withheld from public access. Police authorities are statutorily required to keep and make publicly available a register of members' interests. There is no statutory requirement to consult and report to local authorities in their areas on their plans and policies and they are not statutorily subject to scrutiny by local authorities in their areas of operation.