Written question asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Henley (Conservative) on Tuesday, 22 November 2011.

Police: Operational Independence

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to protect the operational independence of the police in England and Wales.

Answer: The operational independence of the police is a fundamental principle of British policing. The Government took a power in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act for the Secretary of State to issue a statutory protocol, which the Home Secretary laid before Parliament on Monday 21 November 2011. This protocol sets out, in one place, how chief officers will interact with their police and crime commissioner (PCC) and their wider policing partners in order to provide open, transparent and accountable policing for our communities. The protocol reasserts the Government's position that each chief constable is accountable to the law for the exercise of police powers, and to the PCC for the delivery of efficient and effective policing, management of resources and expenditure by the police force. At all times the chief constable, their constables and staff, remain operationally independent in the service of the communities that they serve.

Secondary information