Tag: Lord Wasserman

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-03-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice, Mr Mike Penning, on 17 December 2015 (HCWS426), when they will be able to provide further details on the allocation of the £38 million of New Transformation Funding to incentivise and facilitate transformation in policing, to invest in cross-force specialist capabilities, to exploit new technology and to improve how the UK responds to changing threats.

Lord Bates

The 2016/17 police funding settlement includes new transformation funding to incentivise and facilitate transformation in policing.

As set out in the Minister for Policing, Fire, Criminal Justice and Victims’ Written Ministerial Statement of 4 February which accompanied the 2016/17 Final Police Grant Report, the indicative size of New Transformation Funding in 2016/17 is £37.8 million.

Detailed plans are being developed and more information will be provided in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-01-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements they have made to archive the public papers of Police and Crime Commissioners following the end of their terms in May 2016.

Lord Bates

It is the responsibility of the local Chief Executive in their role as Monitoring Officer and the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to make arrangements for the archiving of public papers following the end of their PCC’s term of office in May 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-10-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications were received for the job of independent Chair of the Board of Directors of the College of Policing; and when they expect to announce the name of the successful candidate.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

The Home Office received 23 applications for the role of Chair of the College of Policing. The selection process has commenced and an announcement will be made in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-01-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 26 January (HL5218), what guidance they have issued to local Chief Executives in their role as Monitoring Officer in the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) about their responsibility to make arrangements for the archiving of public papers following the end of the PCC’s term of office in May; and if none, whether they intend to issue such guidance.

Lord Bates

Further to my Written Answer on 26 January (HL5218), Chief Executives of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) offices hold the responsibility, as Monitoring Officers, for the archiving of public papers following the end of their PCC’s term of office in May 2016.

As such, and as with other local bodies, such as local authorities and elected mayors, it is not the role of national Government to determine how this should be done.

In respect of PCCs, the Association of Policing & Crime Chief Executives (APACE) will support Chief Executives in fulfilling their responsibilities. The Government, therefore, does not intend to issue guidance on this matter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the purdah period begins in respect of the forthcoming elections of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The purdah period for Government departments in respect of the forthcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections will begin on 14 April 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Police and Crime Commissioners who are unsuccessful in seeking re-election in May will receive financial support from the public purse, as is the case with MPs who are unsuccessful in a General Election; and if so, how much.

Lord Bates

Police and Crime Commissioners who are unsuccessful in seeking re-election in May will not receive any direct financial payment from the public purse as a result. Police and Crime Commissioners are eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme and those that have done so may be able to access money paid into that scheme in line with its rules.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which police forces in England and Wales have employed officers through the Direct Entry (Superintendent) Programme since its inception; how many officers each of those forces has employed; and how many of those individuals were still employed as police officers in each of those forces on 1 February 2016.

Lord Bates

The following forces have appointed direct entry superintendents since the programme’s inception.

Avon and Somerset Police 2

City of London Police 1

Leicestershire 1

Metropolitan 10

North Yorkshire 1

Of the 15 superintendents who started their training, 14 are still employed, 13 of these remaining police officers with the forces they were initially recruited to. In Avon and Somerset, one superintendent transferred to Sussex Police and one left.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-02-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 17 February (HL6083), how many of the 14 direct entry superintendents still employed in police forces in England and Wales are (1) female, and (2) members of black and minority ethnic communities.

Lord Bates

Of the 14 direct entry superintendents employed in police forces in England and Wales, six (43%) are female and three (21%) are from an ethnic minority background. This is significantly more representative than the current make up of the superintendent rank of which 19% are women and 4% are from an ethnic minority background.

Direct entrants take part in an 18 month training programme. During the course of this training they undertake a variety of roles, including frontline roles, at Constable, Sergeant, Inspector and Superintendent levels aimed at providing a policing context for their leader-ship skills

The eight direct entrants who began their training in 2014 will complete the programme in May 2016. Should they be successful, the force will decide the roles that they will undertake. The six direct entrants who started in 2015 will not complete the programme until April 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-02-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 17 February (HL6083), how many of the 14 direct entry superintendents still employed in police forces in England and Wales are (1) in command of front-line operational units, and (2) in administrative or back-office management jobs.

Lord Bates

Of the 14 direct entry superintendents employed in police forces in England and Wales, six (43%) are female and three (21%) are from an ethnic minority background. This is significantly more representative than the current make up of the superintendent rank of which 19% are women and 4% are from an ethnic minority background.

Direct entrants take part in an 18 month training programme. During the course of this training they undertake a variety of roles, including frontline roles, at Constable, Sergeant, Inspector and Superintendent levels aimed at providing a policing context for their leader-ship skills

The eight direct entrants who began their training in 2014 will complete the programme in May 2016. Should they be successful, the force will decide the roles that they will undertake. The six direct entrants who started in 2015 will not complete the programme until April 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wasserman on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 23 February (HL5871), whether the activities of Police and Crime Commissioners themselves are subject to a purdah period, and if so, when that period begins in relation to the elections in May.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The pre-election restrictions for Police and Crime Commissioners are governed by Section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986, as amended in 1988. It is permissible for a Police and Crime Commissioner to campaign individually on a political basis, but without recourse to the resources of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC). The Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity would also apply in these circumstances and covers the full range of Local Authorities (including Police and Crime Commissioners and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime). The purdah period for Police and Crime Commissioners and their offices, like other Local Authorities, begins with the publication of the notice of election by the Police Area Returning Officer (PARO), which must happen no later than the 25th day before the day of the election, but can be issued at any point before then. PAROs are responsible for deciding on the date on which they will issue the notice of election – they may issue individually, or simultaneously.