Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence there is that the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners weakened local police accountability; and whether they will publish any such evidence.

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) were established in 2012 with the promise of making the police more accountable and connected to the communities they serve. But data shows that awareness of PCCs has remained low, with only a quarter of electors turning out at last year’s elections.

Furthermore, as recognised in a House Of Commons research briefing on Police and Crime Commissioners published in October 2024, despite the efforts of many individual PCCs the model of a direct 1:1 relationship between elected Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables has not always facilitated effective management of police forces; and the model has siloed policing under a separate directly elected individual, creating structural, and in some cases political barriers, to collaboration across local services.

We will work with policing and local government stakeholders to ensure that future governance arrangements maintain strong oversight of policing, whilst maximising the join-up of local services.