Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what are the current boundaries of operational independence for police forces.

Operational independence of the police is a longstanding fundamental principle of British policing. This ensures that Chief Constables maintain direction and control over their police force so that they can perform their role without fear or favour.

There is no statutory definition of operational independence or its boundaries. However, the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and the Policing Protocol Order 2023 set an expectation that Chief Constables, their officers, and staff exercise professional judgement free from improper political or operational interference.

The Government’s recently published White Paper ‘From Local to National: A New Model for Policing’ announced plans to clarify the boundaries of operational independence to provide policing with direction and support to drive improvement where necessary.