Independent Office for Police Conduct

Baroness Meacher Excerpts

Wednesday 18th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Baroness for her question. I must be honest, I do not have that information in front of me but I will report back to the police Minister. A police grant was published yesterday and is open for consultation. I am not aware of the particular request from the police and crime commissioner but I will follow up with my colleague and write to the noble Baroness with the detail of whether and how it is being progressed. Self-evidently, having three salaries for a chief constable is not a good use of public money.

[Baroness Meacher (CB)]

My Lords, having worked at the Police Complaints Authority for a number of years, I was impressed evermore by the extraordinary behaviour of the police officers who showed incredible restraint in the face of endless rudeness and offensiveness on the part of various members of the public. I wonder if the Minister has had similar experience of the police.

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

As a Minister, my dealings with the police on a day-to-day basis are varied. I have found the police to be professional, forward-looking and aware of the need for accountability because they are exercising strong powers on behalf of the public at large. The purpose of the IOPC, its accountability to Ministers and the framework that we as Ministers set, is about making sure the police retain the confidence of the public they serve and maintain their security. Without that security and confidence, the police cannot operate in an effective way in policing our communities. That is part of the reason why the forthcoming White Paper will look at how we can improve standards, the management of standards and the level of accountability.