Hansard

Police: National Policing Board

Volume 684: debated on Monday 3 July 2006

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The Minister of State, Home Office
(Baroness Scotland of Asthal)

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (John Reid) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

In order to strengthen the tripartite governance of policing in England and Wales, I am, with the support of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Association of Police Authorities (APA), establishing a National Policing Board. The main functions of the board will be to:

agree the Home Secretary's annual national strategic priorities for policing and key priorities for the National Policing Improvement Agency;

set agreed priorities for the police reform programme;

enable Ministers, the professional leaders of the service and police authorities to monitor progress in implementing the reform programme and identify and overcome barriers to delivery; and

provide a regular forum for joint debate and three-way communication between the tripartite partners on the opportunities and challenges facing policing.

The board will be chaired by the Home Secretary and, reflecting its tripartite nature, will include representatives of the Home Office (including Tony McNulty, the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety and senior officials), ACPO (including the president of the association and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner) and the APA (represented by the chair and vice-chair of the association). Also represented on the board will be HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and the chair and chief executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency. The first meeting of the board is expected to take place in July.

A separate Policing Reference Group will enable other key stake holders, including the police staff associations, unions and other bodies representing groups in the police service, to have a significant input into the work of the National Policing Board.

A summary of the key decisions and discussions of each meeting of the National Policing Board and Policing Reference Group will be posted on the Home Office police reform website within two weeks of the meeting.