Every police authority established under section 3 shall secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force for its area.

In discharging any function to which a code of practice issued under section 39 relates, a police authority established under section 3 shall have regard to the code.

A police authority shall comply with any direction given to it by the Secretary of State under section 38 or 40.

Every police authority maintaining a police force for a police area in England and Wales shall, before the beginning of every relevant three-year period, issue a plan (“a three-year strategy plan”) which sets out the authority’s medium and long term strategies for the policing of that area during that period.

In preparing the draft plan, the chief officer of police of a police force shall have regard to the views, obtained in accordance with arrangements under section 96, of people in the police area in question.

A police authority which has issued a three-year strategy plan for any period may modify that plan at any time during that period.

It shall be the duty, in issuing, preparing or modifying a three-year strategy plan or a draft of such a plan, of every police authority or chief officer of police to have regard to the National Policing Plan in force at that time.

A police authority which is proposing to issue or modify any plan under this section shall submit that plan, or the modifications, to the Secretary of State.

Any best value performance plan prepared by a police authority under section 6 of the Local Government Act 1999 (c. 27) for any financial year must be consistent with any three-year strategy plan which sets out the authority’s current strategies for policing its area during any period which includes the whole or any part of that financial year.

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

Every police authority established under section 3 shall, before the beginning of each financial year, determine objectives for the policing of the authority’s area during that year.

Objectives determined under this section may relate to matters to which objectives determined under section 37 also relate, or to other matters, but in any event shall be so framed as to be consistent with the objectives determined under that section.

Every police authority established under section 3 shall, before the beginning of each financial year, issue a plan setting out the proposed arrangements for the policing of the authority’s area during the year (the local policing plan).

A draft of the local policing plan shall be prepared by the chief constable for the area and submitted by him to the police authority for it to consider.

Before issuing a local policing plan which differs from the draft submitted by the chief constable under subsection (3), a police authority shall consult the chief constable.

A police authority shall arrange for every local policing plan issued by it under this section to be published in such manner as appears to it to be appropriate, and shall send a copy of the plan to the Secretary of State.

As soon as possible after the end of each financial year every police authority established under section 3 shall issue a report relating to the policing of the authority’s area for the year.

A report issued by a police authority under this section for any year shall include an assessment of the extent to which the local policing plan for that year issued under section 8 has been carried out.

A police authority shall arrange for every report issued by it under this section to be published in such manner as appears to it to be appropriate, and shall send a copy of the report to the Secretary of State.

The metropolitan police force shall be under the direction and control of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis appointed under section 9B.

In discharging his functions, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis shall have regard to the local policing plan issued by the Metropolitan Police Authority under section 8.

There shall be a Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

Any appointment of a Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis shall be made by Her Majesty by warrant under Her sign manual.

A person appointed as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis shall hold office at Her Majesty’s pleasure.

Any appointment of a Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis shall be subject to regulations under section 50.

Any functions exercisable by the Mayor of London under subsection (5) may only be exercised by him personally.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis shall not have power to act by virtue of subsection (1)(a) or (b) for a continuous period exceeding three months, except with the consent of the Secretary of State.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis shall also have all the powers and duties of an Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

There shall be a Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

Any appointment of a Deputy Commissioner shall be made by Her Majesty by warrant under Her sign manual.

A person appointed as the Deputy Commissioner shall hold office at Her Majesty’s pleasure.

Any appointment of a Deputy Commissioner shall be subject to regulations under section 50.

The Metropolitan Police Authority, acting with the approval of the Secretary of State, may call upon the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to retire in the interests of efficiency or effectiveness.

Before seeking the approval of the Secretary of State under subsection (1), the Metropolitan Police Authority shall give the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis an opportunity to make representations and shall consider any representations that he makes.

Where the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is called upon to retire under subsection (1), he shall retire on such date as the Metropolitan Police Authority may specify or on such earlier date as may be agreed upon between him and the Authority.

This section shall apply in relation to the Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as it applies to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

The ranks that may be held in the metropolitan police force shall include that of Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (“Assistant Commissioner”).

Any appointment of an Assistant Commissioner shall be made by the Metropolitan Police Authority, but subject to the approval of the Secretary of State and to regulations under section 50.

Subsections (1) to (3) of section 9E shall apply in relation to an Assistant Commissioner as they apply to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

An Assistant Commissioner may exercise any of the powers and duties of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis with the consent of the Commissioner.

Subsection (5) is without prejudice to any regulations under section 50.

The ranks that may be held in the metropolitan police force shall include that of Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (“Deputy Assistant Commissioner”).

Any appointment of a Deputy Assistant Commissioner shall be made by the Metropolitan Police Authority, but subject to the approval of the Secretary of State and to regulations under section 50.

Subsections (1) to (3) of section 9E shall apply in relation to a Deputy Assistant Commissioner as they apply in relation to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

The ranks that may be held in the metropolitan police force shall include that of Commander.

Any appointment of a Commander in the metropolitan police force shall be made by the Metropolitan Police Authority, but subject to the approval of the Secretary of State and to regulations under section 50.

Subsections (1) to (3) of section 9E shall apply in relation to a Commander in the metropolitan police force as they apply to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

The ranks that may be held in the metropolitan police force shall be such as may be prescribed by regulations under section 50.

In the metropolitan police force, appointments and promotions to any rank below that of Commander shall be made in accordance with regulations under section 50 by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

A police force maintained under section 2 shall be under the direction and control of the chief constable appointed under section 11.

In discharging his functions, every chief constable shall have regard to the local policing plan issued by the police authority for his area under section 8.

The chief constable of a police force maintained under section 2 shall be appointed by the police authority responsible for maintaining the force, but subject to the approval of the Secretary of State and to regulations under section 50.

Without prejudice to any regulations under section 50 or under the M4Police Pensions Act 1976, the police authority, acting with the approval of the Secretary of State, may call upon the chief constable to retire in the interests of efficiency or effectiveness.

Before seeking the approval of the Secretary of State under subsection (2), the police authority shall give the chief constable an opportunity to make representations and shall consider any representations that he makes.

A chief constable who is called upon to retire under subsection (2) shall retire on such date as the police authority may specify or on such earlier date as may be agreed upon between him and the authority.

Every police force maintained under section 2 shall have a deputy chief constable.

The appointment of a person to be the deputy chief constable of a police force shall be made, in accordance with regulations under section 50, by the police authority responsible for maintaining that force, but only after consultation with the chief constable and subject to the approval of the Secretary of State.

Subsections (2) to (4) of section 11 shall apply in relation to a deputy chief constable as they apply in relation to a chief constable.

The ranks that may be held in a police force maintained under section 2 shall include that of assistant chief constable; and in every such police force there shall be at least one person holding that rank.

Appointments and promotions to the rank of assistant chief constable shall be made, in accordance with regulations under section 50, by the police authority after consultation with the chief constable and subject to the approval of the Secretary of State.

Subsections (2), (3) and (4) of section 11 shall apply to an assistant chief constable as they apply to a chief constable.

No more than one person shall be authorised to act by virtue of a designation under subsection (4) at any one time; and a person so authorised shall not have power to act by virtue of that subsection for a continuous period exceeding three months except with the consent of the Secretary of State.

The provisions of subsection (4) shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, any other enactment which makes provision for the exercise by any other person of powers conferred on a chief constable.

Only one person shall be authorised to act at any one time by virtue of a designation under subsection (2).

The power to act by virtue of subsection (1)(a) or (b) or subsection (2) shall not be exercisable for a continuous period exceeding three months except with the consent of the Secretary of State.

The provisions of subsections (1) and (2) shall be without prejudice to any other enactment that makes provision for the exercise by any other person of powers conferred on a chief constable.

The ranks that may be held in a police force maintained under section 2 shall be such as may be prescribed by regulations under section 50 and the ranks so prescribed shall include, in addition to chief constable and assistant chief constable, the ranks of superintendent, chief inspector, inspector, sergeant and constable.

The ranks prescribed by regulations under section 50 for the purposes of subsection (1) above shall not include that of deputy chief constable.

Appointments and promotions to any rank below that of assistant chief constable in any police force maintained under section 2 shall be made, in accordance with regulations under section 50, by the chief constable.

Each police authority established under section 3 shall keep a fund to be known as the police fund.

Subject to any regulations under thePolice Pensions Act 1976, all receipts of the police authority shall be paid into the police fund and all expenditure of the authority shall be paid out of that fund.

Accounts shall be kept by each police authority of payments made into or out of the police fund.

A police authority established under section 3 may employ persons to assist the police force maintained by it or otherwise to enable the authority to discharge its functions.

A police authority shall exercise its powers under section 101 (and section 107) of the M5Local Government Act 1972 so as to secure that, subject to subsection (3) below, any person employed by the authority under this section is under the direction and control of the chief constable of the police force maintained by the authority.

Subsection (2) shall not apply to such of the persons employed by the authority as may be agreed between the chief constable and the authority or, in the absence of agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

The powers of direction and control referred to in subsection (2) include the powers of engagement and dismissal.

Every relevant council shall make arrangements (whether by standing orders or otherwise) for enabling questions on the discharge of the functions of a police authority to be put by members of the council at a meeting of the council for answer by a person nominated by the authority for that purpose.

On being given reasonable notice by a relevant council of a meeting of that council at which questions on the discharge of the police authority’s functions are to be put, the police authority shall nominate one or more of its members to attend the meeting to answer those questions.

In this section “relevant council” has the same meaning as in Schedule 2.

The London Assembly shall make arrangements (whether by standing orders or otherwise) for enabling questions on the discharge of the functions of the Metropolitan Police Authority to be put by members of the Assembly at a meeting of the Assembly for answer by a person nominated by the Metropolitan Police Authority for that purpose.

On being given reasonable notice by the London Assembly of a meeting of the Assembly at which questions on the discharge of the Metropolitan Police Authority’s functions are to be put, the Metropolitan Police Authority shall nominate one or more of its members to attend the meeting to answer those questions.

Any relevant legislative provision which, immediately before 21st July 1994, applied to police authorities constituted in accordance with section 2 of the M8Police Act 1964 shall, except where the context otherwise requires, apply in the same way to police authorities established under section 3 above.