PART 1

Protection of the police etc

Police covenant report

Police covenant report
1
1
The Secretary of State must in each financial year—
a
prepare a police covenant report, and
b
lay a copy of the report before Parliament.
2
A police covenant report is a report about—
a
the health and well-being of members and former members of the police workforce,
b
the physical protection of such persons,
c
the support required by members of their families, and
d
any other matter in relation to members or former members of the police workforce, or a particular description of such persons, that the Secretary of State considers appropriate,
so far as these matters relate to the fact that the persons concerned are members or former members of the police workforce.
3
In preparing a police covenant report the Secretary of State must have regard in particular to—
a
the obligations of and sacrifices made by members of the police workforce, and
b
the principle that it is desirable to remove any disadvantage for members or former members of the police workforce arising from their membership or former membership.
4
In preparing a police covenant report the Secretary of State must ensure that the views of—
a
any relevant government department, and
b
anyone else the Secretary of State considers appropriate,
are sought in relation to the matters to be covered by the report.
5
A police covenant report must set out in full or summarise any views obtained under subsection (4).
6
The Secretary of State may not include in a police covenant report a summary under subsection (5) unless the person whose views are summarised has approved the summary.
7
A police covenant report must state whether, in the Secretary of State’s opinion, in respect of any matter covered by the report, members or former members of the police workforce, or a particular description of such persons, are at a disadvantage when compared with other persons or such descriptions of other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.
8
Where the Secretary of State’s opinion is that there is any such disadvantage as mentioned in subsection (7), the report must set out the Secretary of State’s response to that.
9
In this section—
- “financial year” means—
  1. the period which begins with the day on which this section comes into force and ends with the following 31 March, and
  2. each successive period of 12 months;
- “members of the police workforce” means—
  1. members of police forces in England and Wales,
  2. special constables appointed under section 27 of the Police Act 1996,
  3. staff appointed by the chief officer of police of a police force in England and Wales,
  4. persons designated as community support volunteers or policing support volunteers under section 38 of the Police Reform Act 2002,
  5. staff appointed by a local policing body if, or to the extent that, they are employed to assist a police force in England and Wales,
  6. persons providing services, in pursuance of contractual arrangements (but without being employed by the chief officer of a police force in England and Wales or a local policing body), to assist a police force in England and Wales in relation to the discharge of its chief officer’s functions,
  7. constables of the British Transport Police Force,
  8. special constables of the British Transport Police Force appointed under section 25 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003,
  9. employees of the British Transport Police Authority appointed under section 27 of that Act and under the direction and control of the chief constable of the British Transport Police Force,
  10. persons designated as community support volunteers or policing support volunteers under section 38 of the Police Reform Act 2002 as applied by section 28 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003,
  11. members of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary,
  12. employees of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority employed under paragraph 6 of Schedule 10 to the Energy Act 2004 if, or to the extent that, they are employed to assist the Civil Nuclear Constabulary,
  13. members of the Ministry of Defence Police and other persons under the direction and control of the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police, and
  14. National Crime Agency officers;
- “former members of the police workforce” means persons who have ceased to be members of the police workforce;
- “relevant government department”, in relation to a matter to be covered by a police covenant report, means a department of the Government of the United Kingdom (apart from the Home Office) which the Secretary of State considers has functions relevant to that matter.
10
The reference in subsection (2) to members of the families of members and former members of the police workforce is a reference to such descriptions of persons connected with members or former members of the police workforce as the Secretary of State considers should be covered by a police covenant report.