(1)The [1992 c. 14.] Local Government Act 1992 shall be amended as follows.
(2)In section 14(5) (matters on which Local Government Commission to make recommendations) after paragraph (d) there shall be added—
“(e)whether, in connection with any recommended structural or boundary change, there should be any change in police areas (including any change resulting in a reduction or increase in the number of police areas)”.
(3)In section 15 (procedure on a review) in subsections (3)(c) and (4)(c) (duty to deposit draft and final recommendations with affected councils) after the word “council” there shall be inserted the words “or police authority”.
(4)In section 17 (implementation of recommendations), in subsection (3)(g) for the words “and election” there shall be substituted the words “, election and membership”.
(5)After subsection (5) of section 17 there shall be added—
“(6)The Secretary of State shall exercise his power to make orders under this section in relation to police areas in such a way as to ensure that none of the following areas—
(a)a county in which there are no district councils,
(b)a district in any other county, and
(c)a London borough,
is divided between two or more police areas; but this subsection shall not have effect so as to prevent the maintenance of any part of the boundary of the metropolitan police district as it exists at the commencement of section 1 of the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994.”
(6)In section 18, subsection (2) and paragraph (a) of subsection (4) shall cease to have effect.
(7)In section 19(2) (provision that may be made by regulations), in paragraph (a) after the words “local authority” in each place where they occur there shall be inserted the words “or police authority”.