Ref:26-07 December 5, 2007
DISAPPOINTMENT AT DECISION ON POLICE OFFICER PAY

The Association of Police Authorities (APA) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) expressed their disappointment today (5/12/7) at reports that the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, will seek to stage the Police Pay Tribunal’s award of 2.5% for police officer pay.

The reports stem from a letter sent from the Home Secretary to The Chancellor that was leaked in The Daily Telegraph newspaper. The leaked letter, sent the day after the Police Pay Tribunal ruling last week, also suggests that the Home Secretary intends to accept a recommendation by the Sir Clive Booth Review of Police Pay to introduce a Police Pay Review Body without consulting either the APA or ACPO.

Phil Blundell, APA Vice-Chairman and Chair of the Official Side of the Police Negotiation Board, said:
“The APA welcomed the recommendation from the Police Arbitration Tribunal last week and believes that the 2.5% police pay award should be implemented in full from 1 September. We are extremely disappointed that the Home Secretary has decided to stage the award.

“We consider it extremely regrettable that the Home Secretary has supported the introduction of a Police Pay Review Body, without the APA or ACPO having the opportunity to see Sir Clive Booth’s Review of Police Pay or to give their views on it. We would have expected to have been consulted on this important move before the Home Secretary reached a decision. The APA is strongly opposed to the replacement of the current negotiating machinery and to the introduction of the Police Pay Review Body.”

Chief Constable Ken Jones, President, Association of Chief Police Officers said:
“If the leaked letter is authentic then chiefs will be disappointed. They recognise and support government in their intention to ensure that pay is affordable. The arbitration process has, we feel, now arrived at a fair and affordable award. The award is broadly in line with comparable groups and had been budgeted for.

“As for Sir Clive Booth’s review, Chiefs have contributed their thinking to this significant exercise and they were looking forward to being involved in the next decision making stage of the process. Securing lasting change to the pay machinery after decades of stability requires the goodwill and understanding of all the tri partite partners.“

Both the APA and ACPO will comment further once the Home Secretary has made an official announcement of her decision on the arbitration ruling, the financial settlement and her response to the Booth Review.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

• For further information please contact APA Communications Manager, Chris Cairns on 020 7664 3174, mobile 07798 50 40 77.

• The Association of Police Authorities (APA) represents all police authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the British Transport Police Authority and the Civil Nuclear Police Authority.

• Local police authorities, along with the Home Secretary and chief officers of police, make up the tripartite relationship which is responsible for the governance of policing in England and Wales.

• Police authorities are made up of local people: a mix of local councillors, magistrates and independent members (recruited from the community) represent the views of local communities.

• The job of Police Authorities is to:
• appoint (and, if necessary, dismiss) chief constables and senior police officers
• consult with local communities to find out what they want the local police to do
• set the budget for their police force, and decide how
much local people should pay for policing in the local council tax
• set the strategic direction for policing locally and decide what the police should focus attention on locally based on their consultations with local communities
• make sure the police force is continuing to do a better job

• The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is an independent, professionally led strategic body. In the public interest and, in equal and active partnership with Government and the Association of Police Authorities, ACPO leads and coordinates the direction and development of the police service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In times of national need ACPO - on behalf of all chief officers - coordinates the strategic policing response.