§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will raise the cost of living allowance for Hampshire Police. [31139]
§ Mr. DenhamFollowing a recommendation from the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) on 8 February 2001, the previous Home Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) approved a new allowance of £1,000, from 1 April 2001, for officers in Hampshire appointed on or after 1 September 1994, and not in receipt of housing allowance.
Any case for increasing the allowance for officers in Hampshire would first have to be made in the PNB. However, it should be noted that the Police Arbitration Tribunal, in rejecting a Staff Side claim for a wider regional allowance, confirmed the PNB agreement of 8 February, including the allowance of £1,000 for qualifying officers in Hampshire.
The PNB is the statutory negotiating body for police pay and conditions of service. Representatives from the Association of Police Authorities, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Police Federation sit on the board, as well as the Secretary of State. The process of negotiation, which led to the joint recommendation on 8 February, will have afforded Hampshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable of Hampshire the opportunity to comment on the proposed new allowance for officers in Hampshire.
On 27 December 2001, PNB reached agreement in principle on a package of changes to police pay and conditions. If implemented, the agreement will provide 679W for older recruits to receive a higher starting salary from I April 2003, enabling forces to attract more experienced recruits to the police service.