This Order brings into operation on 27 October 2008 the revision of paragraph 4 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice for the exercise by: police officers of statutory powers of stop and search; police officers and police staff of requirements to record public encounters (“PACE Code A”) which was laid before Parliament on 6 October 2008.

The revision of paragraph 4 of PACE Code A (recording requirements including recording of encounters not governed by statutory powers) enables constables in Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Surrey, West Midlands, Essex, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, South Wales, West Yorkshire and Thames Valley to conduct a pilot study. This pilot will mean that constables in those force areas will no longer be required to record all encounters not governed by statutory powers in accordance with paragraph 4 of PACE Code A. The constables will only need to record information on the ethnicity of the person. A receipt will also be made available to the person. A new Annex E (replacement of the need to make or provide a record of the encounter with the ability to provide a receipt and to record only the person’s self-defined ethnicity) is inserted into PACE Code A.