Police and Criminal Evidence Act

HC Deb 12 June 2002 vol 386 cc1311-2W

Dr. Starkey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will issue for consultation the revised draft PACE Codes of Practice. [61928]

Mr. Denham

On 15 May, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the accompanying Codes of Practice. As part of the overall review process, and in order to provide practitioners with an up-to-date set of Codes as soon as possible, limited amendments are proposed to existing Codes of Practice B-E. These will primarily take account of legislative changes since the Codes were last updated in 1995. Further changes to the Codes may follow from the broader PACE review.

Section 67 of PACE requires that the Secretary of State first prepare and publish revised drafts of any proposed amendments for consultation. The revised draft PACE Codes of Practice B-E were issued for consultation today and copies have been placed in the Library.