140.This section excludes from the provisions in Schedule 3 any part of a complaint that relates to the direction and control of a police force by its chief officer or a person deputised by him.
141.However, the public expects complaints about direction and control to be dealt with in a meaningful way. Subsection (2) enables the Secretary of State to issue guidance to chief officers and police authorities about the handling of such complaints, while subsection (3) requires chief officers and police authorities to have regard to the guidance when dealing with such a complaint.
142.Under section 54(3) of the 1996 Act, the Secretary of State could refer direction and control matters to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for investigation. This is only likely to happen with regard to particularly sensitive or high profile cases.