After section 36 of the 1996 Act there shall be inserted—
(1)It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, before the beginning of each financial year, to prepare a National Policing Plan for that year.
(2)The Secretary of State shall lay the National Policing Plan for a financial year before Parliament.
(3)Subject to subsection (4), any such plan must be laid before Parliament not later than 30th November in the preceding financial year.
(4)If there are exceptional circumstances, any such plan may be laid before Parliament after the date mentioned in subsection (3); but it must be so laid before the beginning of the financial year to which it relates.
(5)If a plan is laid before Parliament after the date mentioned in subsection (3), the plan must contain a statement of the exceptional circumstances that gave rise to its being so laid.
(6)The National Policing Plan for a financial year—
(a)must set out whatever the Secretary of State considers to be the strategic policing priorities generally for the police forces maintained for police areas in England and Wales for the period of three years beginning with that year;
(b)must describe what, in relation to that period, the Secretary of State is intending or proposing so far as each of the following is concerned—
(i)the setting of objectives under section 37 and the giving of general directions in relation to any objective so set;
(ii)the specification, under section 4 of the Local Government Act 1999 (c. 27) (performance indicators), of performance indicators (within the meaning of that section) for police authorities;
(iii)the making of regulations under the powers conferred by this Act, by Part 4 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (c. 16) (police training) and by Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30) (complaints etc.);
(iv)the issuing of guidance under any provision of this Act or of Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30); and
(v)the issuing and revision of codes of practice under this Act and under Chapter 1 of Part 4 of the Police Reform Act 2002 (powers exercisable by civilians);
(c)may contain such other information, plans and advice as the Secretary of State considers relevant to the priorities set out in the plan.
(7)Before laying the National Policing Plan for a financial year before Parliament, the Secretary of State shall consult with—
(a)persons whom he considers to represent the interests of police authorities;
(b)persons whom he considers to represent the interests of chief officers of police; and
(c)such other persons as he thinks fit.
(8)In this section—
“financial year” means the period of twelve months ending with 31st March; and
“general direction” means a direction under section 38 establishing performance targets for all police authorities to which section 37 applies.”