Part II Central Supervision, Direction and Facilities

Inspectors of constabulary

55 Publication of reports.

(1)

Subject to subsection (2), the Secretary of State shall arrange for any report received by him under section 54(2) F1or (2A) to be published in such manner as appears to him to be appropriate.

(2)

The Secretary of State may exclude from publication under subsection (1) any part of a report if, in his opinion, the publication of that part—

(a)

would be against the interests of national security, or

(b)

might jeopardise the safety of any person.

(3)

The Secretary of State shall send a copy of the published report—

(a)

(except where he is himself the police authority) to the police authority maintaining the police force to which the report relates, and

(b)

to the chief officer of police of that police force.

(4)

The police authority shall invite the chief officer of police to submit comments on the published report to the authority before such date as it may specify.

(5)

The police authority shall prepare comments on the published report and shall arrange for—

(a)

its comments,

(b)

any comments submitted by the chief officer of police in accordance with subsection (4), and

(c)

any response which the authority has to the comments submitted by the chief officer of police,

to be published in such manner as appears to the authority to be appropriate.

(6)

The police authority (except where it is the Secretary of State) shall send a copy of any document published under subsection (5) to the Secretary of State.

F2(7)

Subsections (3) to (6) above shall apply in relation to a report relating to the National Criminal Intelligence Service or the National Crime Squad as if—

(a)

the body to which the report relates were a police force,

(b)

the Service Authority which maintains that body were the police authority which maintains that force, and

(c)

the Director General of that body were the chief officer of police of that force.