Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011

Valid from 25/04/2012

Duty to produce balanced panel E+W

31 (1) In exercising functions under Part 2 or 3 of this Schedule, a relevant local authority must secure that (as far as is reasonably practicable) the balanced appointment objective is met. E+W

(2) In exercising functions under Part 2 or 3 of this Schedule, the Secretary of State must secure that (as far as is reasonably practicable) the balanced appointment objective is met.

(3) A police and crime panel must, in co-opting persons who are members of relevant local authorities, secure that (as far is reasonably practicable) the balanced appointment objective is met.

(4) A police and crime panel—

(a) must, from time to time, decide whether the panel's exercise of the power conferred by paragraph 4(4) or 13(4) (changing the number of co-opted members of the panel) would enable the balanced appointment objective to be, or would contribute to that objective being, met or more effectively met; and

(b) if the panel decides that the exercise of the power would do so, must exercise that power accordingly.

(5) The “balanced appointment objective” referred to in this paragraph is the objective that local authority members of a police and crime panel (when taken together)—

(a) represent all parts of the relevant police area;

(b) represent the political make-up of—

(i) the relevant local authority, or

(ii) the relevant local authorities (when taken together);

(c) have the skills, knowledge and experience necessary for the police and crime panel to discharge its functions effectively.

(6) For that purpose “local authority members” means—

(a) appointed members of the police and crime panel, and

(b) co-opted members of the panel who are members of relevant local authorities.

32 E+W In co-opting members who are not members of relevant local authorities, a police and crime panel must secure that (as far as is reasonably practicable) the appointed and co-opted members of the panel (when taken together) have the skills, knowledge and experience necessary for the police and crime panel to discharge its functions effectively.