Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what legal requirements exist to ensure that Police and Crime Commissioners answer enquiries made to them.

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have a crucial role to play in engaging with the public and partners in their force area to deliver on their priorities to cut crime, including statutory obligations to consult with them on key documents, such as their Police and Crime Plan.

The actions and decisions of PCCs are scrutinised by Police and Crime Panels (PCPs) and PCCs must provide information and answer questions raised by their PCP where reasonable and appropriate, in line with their duties in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. Where necessary, PCCs must also respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from the public, in accordance with the FOI Act 2000.

There are no legal obligations for PCCs to meet delegations of members of the House of Lords. However, PCCs should be expected to engage constructively with any such requests, in line with their position as directly elected local leaders.