Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 23 November (HL Deb, col 1931), whether the new protocol on police attendance will be published; and if so, when.

Other ongoing work to ensure that operational police decisions on the use of force in a mental health setting are necessary and proportionate includes the recent publication by the College of Policing of Authorised Professional Practice on Mental Health and Learning Disabilities. This guidance, along with associated training packages, provides police forces with the tools to ensure that police officers are more aware of mental health issues and how best to respond to people with mental health problems with whom they come into contact. Adherence to the Authorised Professional Practice is at the discretion of individual Chief Constables. All providers of mental health services are required to produce and monitor the effectiveness of a restrictive intervention reduction programme, which is an organisation wide plan to reduce the need for restrictive practice, which in turn reduces the likelihood of police being called to support health staff. In addition, we are aware that local leaders in policing and mental health agencies are working together to scrutinise any use of tasers in mental health settings and consider any lessons learned. The College of Policing will publish the new protocol on police attendance at mental health settings around the turn of the year (2016-17). The protocol has been developed as a Memorandum of Understanding for local health and policing agencies, at the request of the National Police Chiefs Council.