Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides on rules governing the recruitment of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioners.

The arrangements enabling a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to appoint a deputy and the functions a deputy can exercise, are set out within the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.

Before appointing a deputy, a PCC must notify the local Police and Crime Panel of the proposed appointment. This must include the name of the candidate, the criteria used to assess their suitability, how the candidate satisfies those criteria, and the terms and conditions on which the candidate is to be appointed. The Police and Crime Panel must review the proposed appointment, hold a confirmation hearing attended by the candidate to answer questions, and make a report to the PCC, including a recommendation on whether the candidate should be appointed.

The PCC must notify the Police and Crime Panel of the decision whether to accept or reject the recommendation.