Police Act 1996

Alteration of police areas E+W

32 Power to alter police areas by order. E+W

(1) The Secretary of State may by order make alterations in police areas in England and Wales other than the City of London police area.

(2) The alterations that may be made by an order under this section include alterations that result in a reduction or an increase in the number of police areas, but not alterations that result in the abolition of the metropolitan police district.

(3) The Secretary of State shall not exercise his power under this section to make alterations unless either—

(a) he has received a request to make the alterations from the police authority for each of the areas F1 . . . affected by them, or

(b) it appears to him to be expedient to make the alterations in the interests of efficiency or effectiveness.

(4) The Secretary of State shall exercise his power to make orders under this section 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,

(c) a county borough in Wales, and

(d) a London borough,

is divided between two or more police areas.

F2 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 32(3)(a) repealed (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, ss. 325, 423, Sch. 27 para. 84(2), Sch. 34 Pt. VII (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/1648, art. 2, Sch.

F2 S. 32(5) repealed (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 29, ss. 325, 423, Sch. 27 para. 84(3) Sch. 34 Pt. VII (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 1999/3271, art. 4(b)(c)(d)

33 Objections to alterations proposed by Secretary of State. E+W

(1) Before making an order under section 32 by virtue of subsection (3)(b) of that section, the Secretary of State shall give notice of his proposal to—

(a) the police authority for every area F3 . . . that he proposes to alter,

(b) the council of every county, district, county borough or London borough wholly or partly within any area (other than the metropolitan police district) that he proposes to alter,

F4 [(bb) the Greater London Authority, if he proposes to alter the metropolitan police district,]

(c) the council of every London borough, county or district all or part of which would under the proposal be brought into or left out of the metropolitan police district, and

(d) such other persons as he considers appropriate.

(2) A notice under subsection (1) shall—

(a) specify the proposed alterations and describe the general nature of any related provisions proposed to be included in the order,

(b) set out the Secretary of State’s reasons for proposing the alterations, and

(c) specify a date before which any objections to the proposals are to be delivered to the Secretary of State.

(3) The date specified under subsection (2)(c) shall fall after the end of the period of four months beginning with the date of the notice.

(4) Where objections have been duly delivered to the Secretary of State by a person notified under subsection (1), the Secretary of State shall before making the order under section 32—

(a) consider the objections, and

(b) give to that person a further notice stating whether he accepts the objections and, if he does not, giving his reasons.

(5) Where the Secretary of State has given a notice under subsection (1) specifying proposed alterations, the provisions of an order making the alterations may be inconsistent with the notice so far as it describes the general nature of the provisions, and may contain provisions not referred to in the notice.

Textual Amendments

F3 Words in s. 33(1)(a) repealed (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, ss. 325, 423, Sch. 27 para. 85(2), Sch. 34 Pt. VII (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/1648, art. 2, Sch.

F4 S. 33(1)(bb) inserted (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 325, Sch. 27 para. 85(3) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/1648, art. 2, Sch.

34 Orders altering police areas: supplementary provisions. E+W

(1) The power to make orders under section 32 includes power to make such supplementary and transitional provision as the Secretary of State thinks necessary or expedient, including—

(a) provision as to the membership of a police authority;

(b) provision for the transfer of property, rights and liabilities;

(c) provision for the transfer of members of police forces and other persons;

(d) provision as to pending legal proceedings.

(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1), the power to make orders under section 32 includes power—

(a) to amend Schedule 1 to this Act and section 76 of the M1 London Government Act 1963 (extent of metropolitan police district), and

(b) to amend any other enactment, and any instrument made under any enactment, where the amendment is consequential on any provision of the order.

(3) No order shall be made under section 32 by virtue of subsection (3)(b) of that section unless a draft of the order has been laid before and approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.

(4) An order to which subsection (3) applies, and which would apart from this subsection be treated for the purposes of the standing orders of either House of Parliament as a hybrid instrument, shall proceed in that House as if it were not such an instrument.

(5) A statutory instrument containing an order made under section 32 by virtue of subsection (3)(a) of that section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

Marginal Citations

M1 1963 c. 33.