The Act Commentary on Sections Part 1: Police Reform Paragraphs 9 to 13: Police authorities: objectives, plans and reports
81.Paragraph 9 inserts new sections 6ZB and 6ZC into the 1996 Act.
82.New section 6ZB provides for each police authority to issue, before the beginning of each financial year, a policing plan. The plan will include a statement of the objectives determined by the authority for the year in which the plan is issued, and the proposed arrangements for policing the area during the following three years. New section 6ZB confers power on the Secretary of State to make regulations supplementing the provision made by the section: this power may be exercised so as to stipulate other matters to be included in policing plans, and will be subject to the negative resolution procedure.
83.New section 6ZC contains an order-making power under which the Secretary of State may require police authorities to issue reports concerning the policing of their areas. The exercise of the order-making power is subject to the negative resolution procedure.
84.The Secretary of State must consult with the APA and the ACPO and such other persons as he thinks fit before making any order under new section 6ZB or 6ZC
85.New sections 6ZB and 6ZC replace existing provisions in the 1996 Act which require police authorities to prepare a three-year strategy plan (section 6A); set local policing objectives (section 7); issue a local policing plan (section 8); and issue an annual report (section 9). .