Police Act 1996

50Regulations for police forces

(1)Subject to the provisions of this section, the Secretary of State may make regulations as to the government, administration and conditions of service of police forces.

(2)Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), regulations under this section may make provision with respect to—

(a)the ranks to be held by members of police forces;

(b)the qualifications for appointment and promotion of members of police forces;

(c)periods of service on probation;

(d)voluntary retirement of members of police forces;

(e)the conduct, efficiency and effectiveness of members of police forces and the maintenance of discipline;

(f)the suspension of members of a police force from membership of that force and from their office as constable;

(g)the maintenance of personal records of members of police forces;

(h)the duties which are or are not to be performed by members of police forces;

(i)the treatment as occasions of police duty of attendance at meetings of the Police Federations and of any body recognised by the Secretary of State for the purposes of section 64;

(j)the hours of duty, leave, pay and allowances of members of police forces; and

(k)the issue, use and return of police clothing, personal equipment and accoutrements.

(3)Without prejudice to the powers conferred by this section, regulations under this section shall—

(a)establish, or make provision for the establishment of, procedures for cases in which a member of a police force may be dealt with by dismissal, requirement to resign, reduction in rank, reduction in rate of pay, fine, reprimand or caution, and

(b)make provision for securing that any case in which a senior officer may be dismissed or dealt with in any of the other ways mentioned in paragraph (a) is decided—

(i)where he is a member of the metropolitan police force, by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and

(ii)where he is a member of any other force, by the police authority which maintains the force or by a committee of that authority.

For the purposes of this subsection“senior officer” means a member of a police force holding a rank above that of superintendent.

(4)In relation to any matter as to which provision may be made by regulations under this section, the regulations may, subject to subsection (3)(b),—

(a)authorise or require provision to be made by, or confer discretionary powers on, the Secretary of State, police authorities, chief officers of police or other persons, or

(b)authorise or require the delegation by any person of functions conferred on that person by or under the regulations.

(5)Regulations under this section for regulating pay and allowances may be made with retrospective effect to any date specified in the regulations, but nothing in this subsection shall be construed as authorising pay or allowances payable to any person to be reduced retrospectively.

(6)Regulations under this section as to conditions of service shall secure that appointments for fixed terms are not made except where the person appointed holds the rank of superintendent or a higher rank.

(7)Regulations under this section may make different provision for different cases and circumstances.

(8)Any statutory instrument containing regulations under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.