§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he issues to police authorities concerning their policies for charging for policing agricultural shows. [139448]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe decision whether to charge for costs of policing at local events is a matter for the local police authority and the Chief Constable.
Under Section 25 (1) of the Police Act 1996
the Chief Officer of Police may provide, at the request of any person, special police services at any premises or in any locality in the police area for which the force is maintained, subject to the payment to the police authority of charges on such scales as may be determined by that authority.The rationale behind charging is that the taxpayer at large should not be asked to pay for services provided at private events or events which benefit only a relatively small section of the community. It is for the Chief Officer concerned to determine whether a given service would constitute a special police service. Special police services are not defined in the 1996 Act or elsewhere. I would expect them to be services that meet some or all of the following criteria:
They are not part of the general duty of the police to keep the peace and protect life and property;The service to be provided is on private land; and,The service to be provided is for a commercially organised event.Guidance on the policing of public events is provided by the Association of Chief Police Officers. This recognises the key role of event organisers and local agencies, particularly local authorities, in ensuring public safety at such events. The key role for the police is to ensure that public order is maintained and to deal with any criminal offences, which occur.