Police Pensions Act 1976

1 Police pensions regulations

(1) Regulations to be made by the Secretary of State, with the consent of the Minister for the Civil Service and after consultation with the Police Council for the United Kingdom, shall make provision—

(a) as to the pensions which are to be paid to and in respect of members of police forces, whether as of right or otherwise;

(b) as to the contributions in respect of pension rights which are to be made by members of police forces ; and

(c) as to the times at which and the circumstances in which members of police forces are or may be required to retire otherwise than on the ground of misconduct.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of subsection (1) above, any such regulations shall provide for the payment subject to the regulations—

(a) of pensions to and in respect of persons who cease to be members of a police force after having served for such period as may be prescribed by the regulations;

(b) of pensions to and in respect of persons who cease to be members of a police force after such shorter period as may be prescribed by the regulations by reason of infirmity of mind or body ;

(c) of pensions to and in respect of persons who cease to be members of a police force by reason of injury received in the execution of their duty;

(d) of pensions to and in respect of persons who cease to be members of a police force on the ground of age; and

(e) of pensions in respect of persons who die while serving as members of police forces.

(3) Regulations made under this section may contain such consequential or incidental provisions as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient, including, in particular, provision as to the cases in which pensions are to be—

(a) varied, suspended, terminated or forfeited ; or

(b) applied otherwise than by being paid to the persons to whom they were awarded ;

and may provide for a pension to be forfeited wholly or in part and for the forfeiture to be permanent or temporary.

(4) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3) above, the provision which may be made by regulations under this section with respect to forfeiture shall include provision by reference not only to the fact that a person to whom a pension has been awarded has committed and been convicted of an offence as specified in the regulations but also to the fact that the offence in question has been certified by a Minister of the Crown either to have been gravely injurious to the State or to be liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.

(5) Regulations made under this section may be framed so as to have effect as from a date earlier than the making of the regulations.

(6) The power to make regulations under this section shall be exercisable by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.