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Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007

I look forward to having that discussion with the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, outside the Committee. The noble Lord, Lord Smith, asked me about community support officers and raised particular questions about their training. CSOs will undertake training in a range of issues relevant to their role, including training in their powers, human rights, personal safety, interacting with people—a particular concern of the noble Lord—problem solving, diversity, managing evidence and first aid. It is anticipated that the initial training period for CSOs will last five to six weeks. Only six powers will be conferred on CSOs on introduction and the power to detain will not be one of them at that stage. The powers are: to acquire name and address for relevant offences; to confiscate alcohol from young persons and dispose of it; to seize tobacco from young persons and dispose of it; to enter and search premises for the purpose of saving life or limb or preventing serious damage to property; to direct traffic and place traffic signs; and to enforce cordoned areas for the purposes of a terrorist investigation. These are the six areas that the Police Service of Northern Ireland considers will produce the most immediate impact on the ground. There is a strong view that if we conferred the full range of powers at the outset, it would delay the introduction of CSOs. On staff custody officers, hundreds of experienced police sergeants are currently acting as custody officers in Great Britain. Three hundred and fifty are in the PSNI at a time when front-line supervisory experience is at a premium. Allowing appropriately trained and capable police staff to perform the role will allow experienced officers to be redeployed to front-line supervisory duties and to extend the options for DCU commanders and chief officers to have a wider pool of police and staff available to them. The noble Lord, Lord Kilclooney, talked about the appointment of constables with special policingskills. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has experienced a loss of specialist skills, particularly at the rank of detective constable. There are currently97 vacancies, and the Policing Board and the Chief Constable are pressing for these provisions to be brought forward as a matter of urgency. Article 10 reintroduces Section 23 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003, allowing for the appointment of constables who have a specified policing skill. We anticipate that the officers are likely to come from other UK police services and the Republic of Ireland. The noble Lord asked me specifically if I had read the oath of allegiance. I have not.