§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to deal with the alleged weight of bureaucracy in the police force. [HL430]
§ Lord RookerWe are implementing proposals from the recent reportMaking a Difference: Reducing Police Paperwork, and, last November we issued police forces in England and Wales with a revisedManual of Guidance for the Preparation, Processing and Submission of Files. This reduced considerably the number of forms officers have to complete when they pass cases to the Crown Prosecution Service.
We are also investing in a range of new communications technology to minimise the paperwork that officers are required to process.
In addition, the Home Secretary recently announced that he was setting up a study into the working day of a typical police officer in order to identify bureaucratic barriers which prevent officers from spending more time on the beat.
§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they take into account the bureaucracy that can impact on the police when new legislation is being considered. [HL432]
§ Lord RookerYes, the Government are determined to keep bureaucratic burdens to a minimum. Also, all relevant police groups are consulted on proposed new legislation.