Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill has now started its passage through Parliament, following its introduction to the House of Commons on 30 November 2010.

In the Queen’s 2010 speech, the government announced the introduction of legislation that would make the police service more accountable to local people and tackle alcohol-related violence. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill provides for this and other key coalition agreement commitments. It marks the next step in the government’s programme to reduce central bureaucracy, increase democratic accountability and empower local communities.

What will the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill do?

The bill includes the following provisions:

• making the police service more accountable to local people by replacing police authorities with directly elected police and crime commissioners to be introduced from May 2012
• overhauling the Licensing Act to give more powers to local authorities and police to tackle any premises that are causing problems, doubling the maximum fine for persistent underage sales and permitting local authorities to charge more for late-night licences to contribute towards the cost of policing the late-night economy
• introducing a system of temporary bans for new psychoactive substances, so-called 'legal highs', whilst the health issues are considered by independent experts, to ensure our legislative process can respond quickly to emerging harmful substances
• restoring the right to non-violent protest around Parliament whilst ensuring that Parliament Square remains accessible to all by repealing sections 132-138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) 2005 and prohibiting encampments and other disruptive activity on Parliament Square
• amending the process for issuing private arrest warrants for universal jurisdiction offences to ensure that they are issued only where there is a reasonable prospect of successful prosecution

For more information on the bill and its passage through Parliament, please see the Parliament website (new window). You can also view the latest version of the bill in PDF format on the Parliament website (new window).

Background

• radical reforms for police announced
• overhauling the Licensing Act
• temporary bans to fight back against 'legal highs'

Useful documents

• coalition agreement (new window)
• Policing in the 21st century: reconnecting police and the people and the response document
• Rebalancing the Licensing Act consultation, government response and independent analysis
• alcohol policy fact sheets

Impact assessments and equality impact assessments are available to download below.

Date: Tue Nov 30 09:30:00 GMT 2010

• Equalities impact assessment for police and crime commissioners (PDF file - 134kb)
• Equality impact assessment - alcohol measures to be included in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill (PDF file - 105kb)
• Equality impact assessment - new measures on Parliament Square Garden and the surrounding area (PDF file - 146kb)
• Impact assessment - alcohol measures in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill (PDF file - 258kb)
• Impact assessment for police and crime commissioners (PDF file - 208kb)
• Impact assessment for the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill (PDF file - 145kb)

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