Deputy Chief Constable of Sussex

HC Deb 22 July 2002 vol 389 c835W

Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the early retirement of the Deputy Chief Constable of Sussex. [22781]

Mr. Denham

We have set out our position on ill health retirement and disciplinary procedures in the White Paper. We have recognised that the current procedure can be damaging to public confidence. Police authorities should consider whether it would be right to exercise its discretion not to retire the officer where public interest in completing the proceedings in a misconduct case outweighs the medical condition. The White Paper says thatthe Government believes that it is wholly unacceptable for sickness or medical retirement to be used as a means of avoiding discipline".