§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the role of individual police authorities is in the public private partnership between 02 and the Police Information and Technology Organisation; and if he will make a statement. [145192]
§ Ms BlearsThe Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) is a non-departmental public body of the Home Office. The PITO Board includes Association of Police Authorities (APA) members who represent individual police authorities.
The Airwave contract for the new police radio system was awarded by PITO to BT under the Private Finance Initiative, and novated to Airwave mmO2 in November 2001 following the demerger of BT and mmO2.
The Airwave contract was approved by the PITO Board and agreed by all police authorities. It is monitored by the Airwave Programme Board, where APA members represent the interests of individual police authorities.