Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of the size of Policing Boards within the new merged Police Authority on (a) effective scrutiny and (b) decision making.

The Home Office is working with policing and local government to design and implement future governance arrangements to replace Police and Crime Commissioners from May 2028. We remain committed to developing a system of police governance that maintains consistently high standards of oversight, which is joined up with other local services and that the public can trust.

Whilst the size of Policing and Crime Boards will be determined by the number of upper tier local authorities and Strategic Authorities in each police force area, they will be significantly smaller and more agile than previous police authorities, to facilitate effective decision making. They will be required to appoint a Policing and Crime Lead, who will provide visible day to day oversight of policing, akin to a Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime.

Boards will also include independent co-optees, who will bring expertise and knowledge in specialist subjects as needed, to improve oversight and scrutiny.