Background Review bodies for police remuneration etc
41.The terms and conditions of service for police officers in the United Kingdom are set out in regulations made by the Secretary of State (for the police forces in England and Wales), Scottish Ministers (for the Police Service of Scotland) and the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland (for the Police Service of Northern Ireland). The current police pay machinery is made up of the Police Negotiating Board for the United Kingdom (“PNB”). The PNB’s remit is to facilitate negotiations between the Official and Staff Sides, which represent those with responsibility for governing and maintaining police forces in the UK(20) and those representing members of police forces respectively.(21) The PNB is specifically tasked with considering changes to police officer pay; allowances; hours of duty; leave; the issue, use and return of police clothing, personal equipment and accoutrements; and pensions; and making agreed recommendations to the various Ministerial authorities on these matters. Where agreement cannot be reached, the PNB’s constitution provides for reference of the disputed matter to an independent Police Arbitration Tribunal, which considers evidence from both sides and makes findings which have the status of an agreed recommendation from the PNB. There is a separate mechanism for consultation on regulations concerning other terms and conditions of service outside the remit of the PNB. In England and Wales, this is the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (“PABEW”), a separate body which also has the function of advising the Secretary of State on general questions which affect the police. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, legislation provides for consultation with the bodies that govern and maintain the police forces, and the members of those forces.
42.On 1 October 2010 the Home Secretary appointed Tom Winsor to review the remuneration and conditions of service of police officers in England and Wales, and to make recommendations which will enable police forces to manage their resources to serve the public more cost effectively, taking account of the current state of the public finances. The second and final report of the review, containing reforms to be implemented in the longer term, was published on 15 March 2012.(22) Amongst other things, the review recommended that “the Police Negotiating Board should be abolished and replaced by an independent police officer review body”.(23) The Home Secretary responded to the final report in a Written Ministerial Statement on 27 March 2012 (House of Commons, Official Report, columns 126WS to 128WS); in that statement she indicated that the Government would consult on proposals for implementing the Winsor recommendations on changes to the police officer pay machinery.
43.In October 2012, the Government launched a consultation to seek views on how best to implement recommendations made by Tom Winsor on replacing the current police pay machinery with an independent police pay review body. The Government’s response to the consultation was published on 25 April 2013.(24) In a Written Ministerial Statement (House of Commons, Official Report, column 68WS; House of Lords, Official Report, column WS174 to WS175), the Home Secretary announced that, following consideration of consultation responses on how a new police pay review body should be implemented, the Government would establish a Police Remuneration Review Body to consider the remuneration of police officers of the rank of chief superintendent or below. This body will consider evidence from interested parties and make recommendations to Government on police officer remuneration. The remuneration of chief officers (that is, officers of the rank of Assistant Chief Constable, or the equivalent ranks in the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police, and above) will be considered by the Senior Salaries Review Body. Sections 131 to 134 and Schedule 7 give effect to these reforms by abolishing the PNB, establishing the Police Remuneration Review Body and modifying the functions of the PABEW. These measures apply in relation to police officers in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill introduced into the Scottish Parliament on 20 June 2013 includes provision for a new Police Negotiating Board for Scotland.