Police Reform Act 2002

98Secretary of State’s functions in relation to strategies

After section 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c. 37), there shall be inserted—

“6APowers of the Secretary of State and National Assembly for Wales

(1)The Secretary of State may, by order, require—

(a)the responsible authorities for local government areas to formulate any section 6 strategy of theirs for the reduction of crime and disorder so as to include, in particular, provision for the reduction of—

(i)crime of a description specified in the order; or

(ii)disorder of a description so specified.

(b)the responsible authorities for local government areas in England to prepare any section 6 strategy of theirs for combatting the misuse of drugs so as to include in it a strategy for combatting, in the area in question, such other forms of substance misuse as may be specified or described in the order.

(2)After formulating any section 6 strategy (whether in a case in which there has been an order under subsection or in any other case), the responsible authorities for a local government area shall send both—

(a)a copy of the strategy, and

(b)a copy of the document which they propose to publish under section 6(5),

to the Secretary of State.

(3)It shall be the duty of the responsible authorities, when preparing any document to be published under section 6(5), to have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State as to the form and content of the documents to be so published.

(4)If the responsible authorities for a local government area propose to make any changes to a section 6 strategy of theirs, they shall send copies of the proposed changes to the Secretary of State.

(5)In subsections (2) to (4)—

(a)references to the Secretary of State, in relation to responsible authorities for local government areas in Wales shall have effect as references to the Secretary of State and the National Assembly for Wales; and

(b)accordingly, guidance issued for the purposes of subsection (3) in relation to local government areas in Wales must be issued by the Secretary of State and that Assembly acting jointly.

(6)In this section—

• “responsible authorities” and “local government area” have same meanings as in sections 5 and 6;

• “section 6 strategy” means a strategy required to be formulated under section 6(1); and

• “substance misuse” has the same meaning as in section 6.”