Police (Insurance of Voluntary Assistants) Act 1997

2 Insurance of voluntary assistants of metropolitan police force

(1) The Receiver may enter into a contract of insurance of class 1 in Part I of Schedule 2 to the [1982 c. 50.] Insurance Companies Act 1982 (accident insurance) against risks of any voluntary assistant meeting with a personal accident, whether fatal or not, while engaged as such, or suffering from any disease or sickness, whether fatal or not, as a result of being so engaged.

(2) Any sum received under a contract of insurance made by virtue of subsection (1) shall, after deduction of any expenses incurred in the recovery of the sum, be paid by the Receiver to, or to the personal representatives of, the voluntary assistant who suffered the accident, disease or sickness in respect of which the sum is received or to such other person as the Receiver considers appropriate having regard to the circumstances of the case; and a sum paid to any person other than the assistant or his personal representatives shall be applied by that person in accordance with any directions given by the Receiver for the benefit of any dependant of the voluntary assistant.

(3) The provisions of the [1774 c. 48.] Life Assurance Act 1774 shall not apply to any such contract.

(4) Section 119 of the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972 (payments due to deceased officers) shall apply, subject to the necessary modifications, to any sum which is due from the Receiver by virtue of subsection (2) above and does not exceed the amount for the time being specified in subsection (1) of that section.

(5) In this section—

• “the Receiver” means the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District;

• “the Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis;

• “voluntary assistant” means a person who, at the request of the Secretary of State, the Commissioner or any member of the metropolitan police force, performs any service or does anything otherwise than for payment by the Receiver (except by way of reimbursement of expenses), for the purposes of, or in connection with, the carrying out of any of the functions of the Commissioner, but does not include a special constable acting as such.