Police Reserve Trainee Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) These regulations may be cited as the Police Reserve Trainee Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004.

(2) These regulations shall come into operation on 8th February 2004.

Conditions for appointment as reserve constable

2.  A person shall not be appointed as a reserve constable unless he has –

(a) completed such period of service as a police reserve trainee as may be specified by the Chief Constable;

(b) completed, to the satisfaction of the Chief Constable, such training for service as a reserve constable as may be specified by the Chief Constable; and

(c) demonstrated during his period of service as a police reserve trainee, by such tests or assessments as may be determined by the Chief Constable, that he possesses the physical competence to perform the duties of a reserve constable.

Restrictions on the private life of police reserve trainees

3.—(1) No restriction on the private life of police reserve trainees shall be imposed by the Chief Constable, except such restrictions as are set out in this regulation or as may be necessary in the interests of the safety of police reserve trainees.

(2) Where the Chief Constable imposes a restriction on the private life of police reserve trainees under paragraph (1), he shall report the restriction forthwith to the Board and to the Secretary of State.

(3) A police reserve trainee shall not take any active part in politics.

(4) A police reserve trainee shall not wilfully refuse or neglect to discharge any lawful debt.

Prohibited business interests

4.—(1) Where a police reserve trainee or a relative included in his family has a prohibited business interest within the meaning of regulation 2A of the Police (Recruitment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2001(1) the Chief Constable may give notice in writing to the police reserve trainee that the prohibited business interest is incompatible with him remaining a police reserve trainee.

(2) The Chief Constable shall not give notice under paragraph (1) before any such procedure as may be specified in standing orders under regulation 10 for the informal resolution of the case has been concluded.

(3) Within 10 days of receiving a notice given under paragraph (1), or within such longer period as the Board may in all the circumstances allow, the police reserve trainee concerned may appeal to the Board against the decision of the Chief Constable as set out in the notice by sending written notice of his appeal to the Board.

(4) On receipt of a notice given under paragraph (3) the Board shall require the Chief Constable to submit to it, within the next following 10 days –

(a) a notice setting out the reasons for his decision, and

(b) copies of any documents on which he relies in support of that decision,

and the Board shall send to the police reserve trainee concerned copies of such notice and documents and shall afford him a reasonable opportunity, being in no case less than 14 days, to comment thereon.

(5) Where a police reserve trainee has appealed to the Board under paragraph (3) the Board shall give him notice of its determination of the appeal within 28 days of –

(a) receiving his comments on the notice and any other documents submitted by the Chief Constable under paragraph (4), or

(b) the expiration of the period afforded for making comments if none have by then been received.

(6) Where a police reserve trainee has been given notice under paragraph (1) and either –

(a) the police reserve trainee has not appealed against the decision set out in the notice under paragraph (3), or

(b) on such appeal, the Board has upheld the decision of the Chief Constable,

the Chief Constable may terminate the period of service of that police reserve trainee by giving him one week’s notice in writing.

(7) Any reference in this regulation to a relative included in a police reserve trainee’s family shall include a reference to his spouse, parent, son, daughter, brother or sister.

Pay

5.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, the Secretary of State shall determine the hourly rate at which police reserve trainees are to be paid for participating in training, tests or assessments in accordance with regulation 2.

(2) A determination under paragraph (1) may be made with retrospective effect to any date specified in the determination, but nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as authorising the pay payable to any person to be reduced retrospectively.

(3) A determination under paragraph (1) may make different provision for different cases.

(4) Where a police reserve trainee completes any part of the training specified under regulation 2(b) under arrangements which do not require the presence of other police reserve trainees, police officers or police support staff, standing orders made under regulation 10 may provide for the period for which he is paid for participating in that part of the training to be such period as is determined in accordance with standing orders.

(5) Police reserve trainees shall be paid monthly in arrears, or at such other intervals as the Chief Constable may fix.

(6) The Chief Constable may, if he thinks fit, pay to a police reserve trainee such part of his pay as he may determine in advance of the day on which it would otherwise be due to be paid in accordance with this regulation.

(7) The pay of a police reserve trainee for a quarter of an hour shall be calculated for all purposes at a rate determined by dividing by four the hourly rate determined under paragraph (1).

Allowances: general

6.—(1) No allowances shall be paid to a police reserve trainee except as provided by these regulations or approved by the Secretary of State, and the amounts and conditions of payment of such allowances shall be as provided by or under these regulations or as approved by the Secretary of State.

(2) A police reserve trainee claiming any allowance under these regulations shall comply with such directions as may be given by the Chief Constable from time to time as to the time and manner of claiming and certification.

(3) Nothing in this regulation shall apply to the reimbursement of expenses incurred by a person in connection with his service as a police reserve trainee, being expenses authorised either generally or specifically by the Chief Constable in respect of which no allowance is payable under these regulations.

Allowance in respect of medical charges

7.—(1) Where a police reserve trainee –

(a) receives an injury without his default when –

(i) participating in training specified under regulation 2(b) or tests or assessments determined under regulation 2(c) at a place approved for the purposes of this regulation by the Chief Constable, or

(ii) travelling to or from such a place for the purposes of participating in such training, tests or assessments, and

(b) incurs normal standard charges under Article 5, 61, 62, 63 or 98 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(2) (which Articles relate to charges for certain drugs, medicines and appliances and for dental treatment) by reason of the injury,

he shall be reimbursed the charges.

(2) Where a police reserve trainee –

(a) receives an injury which, in the opinion of the Chief Constable,

(i) would not have been received had he not been known to be a police reserve trainee, or

(ii) is an injury to which sub-paragraph (i) may apply, and should be treated as one to which sub-paragraph (i) does apply, and

(b) incurs normal standard charges under any provision mentioned in paragraph (1)(b) by reason of the injury,

he may be reimbursed the charges.

(3) For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2) –

(a) “injury” includes any injury or disease, whether of body or mind; and

(b) an injury shall be treated as received without the default of the police reserve trainee concerned unless the injury is wholly or mainly due to his own serious and culpable negligence or misconduct.

Motor vehicle allowance

8.—(1) Where the Chief Constable specifies a place as a qualifying site for the purposes of this regulation, and authorises a police reserve trainee to use a motor vehicle for the purposes of attending training, tests or assessments at a qualifying site, the police reserve trainee shall be paid an allowance.

(2) An allowance under paragraph (1) shall be payable on such conditions and at such rate as may be specified in standing orders made under regulation 10.

Termination of service of a police reserve trainee

9.—(1) A person shall cease to be a police reserve trainee on his appointment as a reserve constable.

(2) Where a person has served as a police reserve trainee for a period of 48 weeks (“the relevant period”), but –

(a) has not completed the training specified under regulation 2(b), or

(b) has not demonstrated physical competence under regulation 2(c),

the Chief Constable may terminate his service as a police reserve trainee by giving him one week’s notice in writing on the expiry of the relevant period.

(3) The Chief Constable may at any time terminate a person’s period of service as a police reserve trainee by giving him one week’s notice in writing –

(a) if he considers that he is not likely to become an efficient or well-conducted reserve constable on completion of his period of service as a police reserve trainee; or

(b) if, following an examination by a medical practitioner appointed or approved by the Chief Constable, the Chief Constable considers that he –

(i) is not fit, physically or mentally, to be a police reserve trainee, or

(ii) is not likely to be fit, physically or mentally, to be a reserve constable on completion of his period of service as a police reserve trainee; or

(c) if the police reserve trainee refuses, without reasonable excuse, to undergo an examination by a medical practitioner appointed or approved by the Chief Constable.

(4) Any termination of a period of service under paragraph 9(2) or (3) shall be carried out in accordance with any such provision as may be made by standing orders under regulation 10.

(5) A police reserve trainee may end his period of service as a police reserve trainee by giving one week’s notice in writing to the Chief Constable.

Standing Orders

10.—(1) The Chief Constable may make provision in standing orders as to the government, administration and conditions of service of police reserve trainees.

(2) Every police reserve trainee shall comply with the requirements of standing orders made under paragraph (1).

(3) The Chief Constable –

(a) shall issue a copy of any standing orders made under paragraph (1) to every police reserve trainee on or before the day on which he begins his period of service as a police reserve trainee, and

(b) shall issue details of any change to such standing orders to every police reserve trainee to whom that change may apply as soon as reasonably practicable.

Functions of the Chief Constable

11.—(1) Any power conferred on the Chief Constable by these regulations to make provision by –

(a) making standing orders or giving directions,

(b) authorising, designating, approving or specifying any person or anything,

(c) imposing restrictions, or

(d) doing anything else,

includes power to make different provision for different purposes, cases and circumstances.

(2) The Chief Constable may designate a police officer or member of the police support staff for the purposes of this regulation and, subject to paragraph (3), may delegate any function under these regulations to a person so designated.

(3) Any function of the Chief Constable under regulation 4(6) or 9(2) or (3) may be delegated only to –

(a) a police officer of a rank not lower than chief inspector, or

(b) a senior employee (as defined in section 4(7) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000), or

(c) such member of the police support staff of such class or description as may be specified by the Board for the purposes of this paragraph.

Paul Murphy

One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State

Northern Ireland Office

7th January 2004