Police Reform Act 2002

Co-operation, assistance and information

15 General duties of police authorities, chief officers and inspectors

(1) It shall be the duty of—

(a) every police authority maintaining a police force,

(b) the chief officer of police of every police force, and

(c) every inspector of constabulary carrying out any of his functions in relation to a police force,

to ensure that it or he is kept informed, in relation to that force, about all matters falling within subsection (2).

(2) Those matters are—

(a) matters with respect to which any provision of this Part has effect;

(b) anything which is done under or for the purposes of any such provision; and

(c) any obligations to act or refrain from acting that have arisen by or under this Part but have not yet been complied with, or have been contravened.

(3) Where—

(a) a police authority maintaining any police force requires the chief officer of that force or of any other force to provide a member of his force for appointment under paragraph 16, 17 or 18 of Schedule 3,

(b) the chief officer of police of any police force requires the chief officer of police of any other police force to provide a member of that other force for appointment under any of those paragraphs, or

(c) a police authority or chief officer requires the Director General of the National Criminal Intelligence Service or the Director General of the National Crime Squad to provide a member of that Service or Squad for appointment under any of those paragraphs,

it shall be the duty of the chief officer or Director General to whom the requirement is addressed to comply with it.

(4) It shall be the duty of—

(a) every police authority maintaining a police force,

(b) the chief officer of police of every police force,

(c) the Service Authority for the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the Service Authority for the National Crime Squad, and

(d) the Directors General of that Service and of that Squad,

to provide the Commission and every member of the Commission’s staff with all such assistance as the Commission or that member of staff may reasonably require for the purposes of, or in connection with, the carrying out of any investigation by the Commission under this Part.

(5) It shall be the duty of—

(a) every police authority maintaining a police force,

(b) the chief officer of every police force,

(c) the Service Authorities for the National Criminal Intelligence Service and of the National Crime Squad, and

(d) the Directors General of that Service and of that Squad,

to ensure that a person appointed under paragraph 16, 17 or 18 of Schedule 3 to carry out an investigation is given all such assistance and co-operation in the carrying out of that investigation as that person may reasonably require

(6) The duties imposed by subsections (4) and (5) on a police authority maintaining a police force and on the chief officer of such a force and on the Directors General of the National Criminal Intelligence Service and of the National Crime Squad have effect—

(a) irrespective of whether the investigation relates to the conduct of a person who is or has been a member of that force or of that Service or Squad; and

(b) irrespective of who has the person appointed to carry out the investigation under his direction and control;

but a chief officer of a third force may be required to give assistance and co-operation under subsection (5) only with the approval of the chief officer of the force to which the person who requires it belongs or, as the case may be, of the Director General of the Service or Squad to which that person belongs.

(7) In subsection (6) “third force”, in relation to an investigation, means a police force other than—

(a) the force to which the person carrying out the investigation belongs; or

(b) the force to which the person whose conduct is under investigation belonged at the time of the conduct;

and in this subsection references to a police force include references to the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the National Crime Squad.

16 Payment for assistance with investigations

(1) This section applies where—

(a) one police force is required to provide assistance to another in connection with an investigation under this Part; or

(b) a police force is required to provide assistance in such a connection to the Commission.

(2) For the purposes of this section—

(a) assistance is required to be provided by one police force to another in connection with an investigation under this Part if the chief officer of the first force (“the assisting force”) complies with a requirement under section 15 (3) or (5) that is made in connection with an investigation relating to the conduct of a person who, at the time of the conduct, was a member of the other force; and

(b) assistance is required to be provided in such a connection by a police force (“the assisting force”) to the Commission if the chief officer of that force complies with a requirement under section 15(4) that is made in connection with an investigation relating to the conduct of a person who, at the time of the conduct, was not a member of that force.

(3) Where the assistance is required to be provided by one police force to another, the police authority maintaining that other police force shall pay to the police authority maintaining the assisting force such contribution (if any) towards the costs of the assistance—

(a) as may be agreed between them; or

(b) in the absence of an agreement, as may be determined in accordance with any arrangements which—

(i) have been agreed to by police authorities generally; and

(ii) are for the time being in force with respect to the making of contributions towards the costs of assistance provided, in connection with investigations under this Part, by one police force to another; or

(c) in the absence of any such arrangements, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

(4) Where the assistance is required to be provided by a police force to the Commission, the Commission shall pay to the police authority maintaining the assisting force such contribution (if any) towards the costs of the assistance—

(a) as may be agreed between the Commission and that authority; or

(b) in the absence of an agreement, as may be determined in accordance with any arrangements which—

(i) have been agreed to by police authorities generally and by the Commission; and

(ii) are for the time being in force with respect to the making of contributions towards the costs of assistance provided, in connection with investigations under this Part, to the Commission; or

(c) in the absence of any such arrangements, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

(5) In this section (subject to subsection (6))—

(a) references to a police force include references to the National Criminal Intelligence Service and to the National Crime Squad; and

(b) in relation to that Service or Squad, references to the police authority maintaining it and to the chief officer are references, respectively, to the Service Authority and to the Director General.

(6) This section shall have effect in relation to cases in which assistance is required to be provided by the National Criminal Intelligence Service or National Crime Squad as if—

(a) the reference in subsection (3)(b) to police authorities generally included a reference to the Service Authority for that Service or, as the case may be, for that Squad; and

(b) the reference in subsection (4)(b) to police authorities generally were a reference to the Service Authority for that Service or, as the case may be, for that Squad.

(7) This section is without prejudice to the application of section 24 of the 1996 Act (assistance given voluntarily by one force to another) in a case in which assistance is provided, otherwise than in pursuance of any duty imposed by section 15 of this Act, in connection with an investigation under this Part.

17 Provision of information to the Commission

(1) It shall be the duty of—

(a) every police authority, and

(b) every chief officer,

at such times, in such circumstances and in accordance with such other requirements as may be set out in regulations made by the Secretary of State, to provide the Commission with all such information and documents as may be specified or described in regulations so made.

(2) It shall also be the duty of every police authority and of every chief officer—

(a) to provide the Commission with all such other information and documents specified or described in a notification given by the Commission to that authority or chief officer, and

(b) to produce or deliver up to the Commission all such evidence and other things so specified or described,

as appear to the Commission to be required by it for the purposes of the carrying out of any of its functions.

(3) Anything falling to be provided, produced or delivered up by any person in pursuance of a requirement imposed under subsection (2) must be provided, produced or delivered up in such form, in such manner and within such period as may be specified in—

(a) the notification imposing the requirement; or

(b) in any subsequent notification given by the Commission to that person for the purposes of this subsection.

(4) Nothing in this section shall require a police authority or chief officer—

(a) to provide the Commission with any information or document, or to produce or deliver up any other thing, before the earliest time at which it is practicable for that authority or chief officer to do so; or

(b) to provide, produce or deliver up anything at all in a case in which it never becomes practicable for that authority or chief officer to do so.

(5) A requirement imposed by any regulations or notification under this section may authorise or require information or documents to which it relates to be provided to the Commission electronically.

18 Inspections of police premises on behalf of the Commission

(1) Where—

(a) the Commission requires—

(i) a police authority maintaining any police force, or

(ii) the chief officer of police of any such force,

to allow a person nominated for the purpose by the Commission to have access to any premises occupied for the purposes of that force and to documents and other things on those premises, and

(b) the requirement is imposed for any of the purposes mentioned in subsection (2),

it shall be the duty of the authority or, as the case may be, of the chief officer to secure that the required access is allowed to the nominated person.

(2) Those purposes are—

(a) the purposes of any examination by the Commission of the efficiency and effectiveness of the arrangements made by the force in question for handling complaints or dealing with recordable conduct matters;

(b) the purposes of any investigation by the Commission under this Part or of any investigation carried out under its supervision or management.

(3) A requirement imposed under this section for the purposes mentioned in subsection (2)(a) must be notified to the authority or chief officer at least 48 hours before the time at which access is required.

(4) Where—

(a) a requirement imposed under this section for the purposes mentioned in subsection (2)(a) requires access to any premises, document or thing to be allowed to any person, but

(b) there are reasonable grounds for not allowing that person to have the required access at the time at which he seeks to have it,

the obligation to secure that the required access is allowed shall have effect as an obligation to secure that the access is allowed to that person at the earliest practicable time after there cease to be any such grounds as that person may specify.

(5) The provisions of this section are in addition to, and without prejudice to—

(a) the rights of entry, search and seizure that are or may be conferred on—

(i) a person designated for the purposes of paragraph 19 of Schedule 3, or

(ii) any person who otherwise acts on behalf of the Commission,

in his capacity as a constable or as a person with the powers and privileges of a constable; or

(b) the obligations of police authorities and chief officers under sections 15 and 17.

19 Use of investigatory powers by or on behalf of the Commission

(1) The Secretary of State may by order make such provision as he thinks appropriate for the purpose of authorising—

(a) the use of directed and intrusive surveillance, and

(b) the conduct and use of covert human intelligence sources,

for the purposes of, or for purposes connected with, the carrying out of the Commission’s functions.

(2) An order under this section may, for the purposes of or in connection with any such provision as is mentioned in subsection (1), provide for—

(a) Parts 2 and 4 the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (c. 23) (surveillance and covert human intelligence sources and scrutiny of investigatory powers), and

(b) Part 3 of the 1997 Act (authorisations in respect of property),

to have effect with such modifications as may be specified in the order.

(3) The Secretary of State shall not make an order containing (with or without any other provision) any provision authorised by this section unless a draft of that order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.

(4) Expressions used in this section and in Part 2 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 have the same meanings in this section as in that Part.

20 Duty to keep the complainant informed

(1) In any case in which there is an investigation of a complaint in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3—

(a) by the Commission, or

(b) under its management,

it shall be the duty of the Commission to provide the complainant with all such information as will keep him properly informed, while the investigation is being carried out and subsequently, of all the matters mentioned in subsection (4).

(2) In any case in which there is an investigation of a complaint in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3—

(a) by the appropriate authority on its own behalf, or

(b) under the supervision of the Commission,

it shall be the duty of the appropriate authority to provide the complainant with all such information as will keep him properly informed, while the investigation is being carried out and subsequently, of all the matters mentioned in subsection (4).

(3) Where subsection (2) applies, it shall be the duty of the Commission to give the appropriate authority all such directions as it considers appropriate for securing that that authority complies with its duty under that subsection; and it shall be the duty of the appropriate authority to comply with any direction given to it under this subsection.

(4) The matters of which the complainant must be kept properly informed are—

(a) the progress of the investigation;

(b) any provisional findings of the person carrying out the investigation;

(c) whether any report has been submitted under paragraph 22 of Schedule 3;

(d) the action (if any) that is taken in respect of the matters dealt with in any such report; and

(e) the outcome of any such action.

(5) The duties imposed by this section on the Commission and the appropriate authority in relation to any complaint shall be performed in such manner, and shall have effect subject to such exceptions, as may be provided for by regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(6) The Secretary of State shall not by regulations provide for any exceptions from the duties imposed by this section except so far as he considers it necessary to do so for the purpose of—

(a) preventing the premature or inappropriate disclosure of information that is relevant to, or may be used in, any actual or prospective criminal proceedings;

(b) preventing the disclosure of information in any circumstances in which it has been determined in accordance with the regulations that its non-disclosure—

(i) is in the interests of national security;

(ii) is for the purposes of the prevention or detection of crime, or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders;

(iii) is required on proportionality grounds; or

(iv) is otherwise necessary in the public interest.

(7) The non-disclosure of information is required on proportionality grounds if its disclosure would cause, directly or indirectly, an adverse effect which would be disproportionate to the benefits arising from its disclosure.

(8) Regulations under this section may include provision framed by reference to the opinion of, or a determination by, the Commission or any police authority or chief officer.

(9) It shall be the duty of a person appointed to carry out an investigation under this Part to provide the Commission or, as the case may be, the appropriate authority with all such information as the Commission or that authority may reasonably require for the purpose of performing its duty under this section.

21 Duty to provide information for other persons

(1) A person has an interest in being kept properly informed about the handling of a complaint or recordable conduct matter if—

(a) it appears to the Commission or to an appropriate authority that he is a person falling within subsection (2); and

(b) that person has indicated that he consents to the provision of information to him in accordance with this section and that consent has not been withdrawn.

(2) A person falls within this subsection if—

(a) he is a relative of a person whose death is the alleged result from the conduct complained of or to which the recordable conduct matter relates;

(b) he is a relative of a person whose serious injury is the alleged result from that conduct and that person is incapable of making a complaint;

(c) he himself has suffered serious injury as the alleged result of that conduct.

(3) A person who does not fall within subsection (2) has an interest in being kept properly informed about the handling of a complaint or recordable conduct matter if—

(a) the Commission or an appropriate authority considers that he has an interest in the handling of the complaint or recordable conduct matter which is sufficient to make it appropriate for information to be provided to him in accordance with this section; and

(b) he has indicated that he consents to the provision of information to him in accordance with this section.

(4) In relation to a complaint, this section confers no rights on the complainant.

(5) A person who has an interest in being kept properly informed about the handling of a complaint or conduct matter is referred to in this section as an “interested person”.

(6) In any case in which there is an investigation of the complaint or recordable conduct matter in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3—

(a) by the Commission, or

(b) under its management,

it shall be the duty of the Commission to provide the interested person with all such information as will keep him properly informed, while the investigation is being carried out and subsequently, of all the matters mentioned in subsection (9).

(7) In any case in which there is an investigation of the complaint or recordable conduct matter in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3—

(a) by the appropriate authority on its own behalf, or

(b) under the supervision of the Commission,

it shall be the duty of the appropriate authority to provide the interested person with all such information as will keep him properly informed, while the investigation is being carried out and subsequently, of all the matters mentioned in subsection (9).

(8) Where subsection (7) applies, it shall be the duty of the Commission to give the appropriate authority all such directions as it considers appropriate for securing that that authority complies with its duty under that subsection; and it shall be the duty of the appropriate authority to comply with any direction given to it under this subsection.

(9) The matters of which the interested person must be kept properly informed are—

(a) the progress of the investigation;

(b) any provisional findings of the person carrying out the investigation;

(c) whether any report has been submitted under paragraph 22 of Schedule 3;

(d) the action (if any) that is taken in respect of the matters dealt with in any such report; and

(e) the outcome of any such action.

(10) The duties imposed by this section on the Commission and the appropriate authority in relation to any complaint or recordable conduct matter shall be performed in such manner, and shall have effect subject to such exceptions, as may be provided for by regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(11) Subsections (6) to (9) of section 20 apply for the purposes of this section as they apply for the purposes of that section.

(12) In this section “relative” means a person of a description prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary of State.