Business interests incompatible with membership of a police force
7.—(1) If a member of a police force or a relative included in his family proposes to have, or has, a business interest within the meaning of this regulation, the member shall forthwith give written notice of that interest to the chief officer unless that business interest was disclosed at the time of his appointment as a member of the force.
(2) On receipt of a notice given under paragraph (1), the chief officer shall determine whether or not the interest in question is compatible with the member concerned remaining a member of the force and, within 28 days of the receipt of that notice, shall notify the member in writing of his decision.
(3) Within 10 days of being notified of the chief officer’s decision as aforesaid, or within such longer period as the police authority may in all the circumstances allow, the member concerned may appeal to the police authority against that decision by sending written notice of his appeal to the police authority.
(4) Upon receipt of such notice, the police authority shall forthwith require the chief officer to submit to them, within the next following 10 days, a notice setting out the reasons for his decision and copies of any documents on which he relies in support of that decision; and the police authority shall send to the member concerned copies of such notice and documents and shall afford him a reasonable opportunity, being in no case less than 14 days, to comment thereon.
(5) Where a member of a police force has appealed to the police authority under paragraph (3) the police authority shall, within 28 days of receiving his comments on the notice and any other documents submitted by the chief officer under paragraph (4), or of the expiration of the period afforded for making comments if none have by then been received, give him written notice of their determination of the appeal but, where they have upheld the decision of the chief officer and, within 10 days of being so notified or within such longer period as the police authority may in all the circumstances allow, the member makes written request to the police authority for the reference of the matter to the Secretary of State, the matter shall be so referred and, unless and until the determination of the police authority is confirmed by the Secretary of State, it shall be of no effect and in particular, no action in pursuance thereof shall be taken under paragraph (6).
(6) Where a member of a police force, or a relative included in his family, has a business interest within the meaning of this regulation which the chief officer has determined, under paragraph (2), to be incompatible with his remaining a member of the force and either the member has not appealed against that decision under paragraph (3) or, subject to paragraph (5), on such appeal, the police authority has upheld that decision, then, the chief officer may, subject to the approval of the police authority, dispense with the services of that member; and before giving such approval, the police authority shall give the member concerned an opportunity to make representations and shall consider any representations so made.