Part 9: Miscellaneous and General Chapter 1: Miscellaneous Section 157: Power to enter into police collaboration agreements
This section, and accompanying Schedule 19, form part of the law of England and Wales.
	Section 22A of the 1996 Act provides that a collaboration agreement between one or more police forces and an 'other person' (such as the NCA) requires at least two policing bodies (such as a PCC) to be party to the agreement. In order to have two policing bodies, the agreement would need to be made by at least two police forces. Policing bodies are party to collaboration agreements to ensure oversight of force activity. The effect of needing two policing bodies in all collaboration agreements is restrictive, impractical and considered to be an unintended error.
	Subsections (1) and (2) amend section 22A of the 1996 Act to allow 'other persons' to enter into collaboration agreements with one or more police forces and one or more policing bodies. This amendment puts 'other persons', including bodies such as the NCA, on the same footing as police forces as it removes the previous requirement for there to be at least two policing bodies party to a collaboration agreement with 'other persons'. This will give the NCA more flexibility by, in effect, allowing it to enter into a collaboration agreement with a single police force, which it has previously been prevented from doing.
	Sections 23F and 23G of the 1996 Act enable the Secretary of State to issue guidance and directions to chief constables and local policing bodies about collaboration agreements and related matters. Subsections (3) and (4) insert new subsections (3) and (2A) in sections 23F and 23G respectively, which provide that the Secretary of State may give guidance and directions about collaboration agreements to bodies (such as the NCA) who exercise functions of a public nature.
	Subsection (5) introduces Schedule 19, which makes amendments to the Police Act 1997 and to RIPA, where the NCA is a party to collaboration agreements under section 22A of the 1996 Act (as amended).