Police and Crime Commissioners Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Home Office
Wednesday 29th October 2014

(9 years, 6 months ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Asked by
Lord Hoyle Portrait Lord Hoyle
- Hansard - -



To ask Her Majesty’s Government what standards and guidelines are given to Police and Crime Commissioners upon taking office.

Lord Bates Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My Lords, the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 provides the broad structure within which police and crime commissioners must operate. The legislation is necessarily permissive to allow PCCs to innovate and deliver policing more effectively than the unelected police authorities that they replaced.

Lord Hoyle Portrait Lord Hoyle (Lab)
- Hansard - -

I thank the Minister for that considered but short reply. Already between 2012 and 2014, these police and crime commissioners have cost us £9,636,264. That is just in salary and expenses and does not take into account the people who are directly employed by them. The public do not understand why police and crime commissioners were appointed, what they are supposed to do and what they have achieved, but they do know that they cannot be sacked. Does the Minister agree with the Deputy Prime Minister that this is a failed experiment and that they should be scrapped?

Lord Bates Portrait Lord Bates
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I hear what the noble Lord says, but of course 5.49 million people voted to put those people in place. I would argue that they are much more accountable than the police authorities and the local government systems that existed before. As for the comments of the Deputy Prime Minister, of course this was a coalition agreement that was supported through this House, but the Liberal Democrats are entirely entitled to change their mind whenever they choose.