Why has the report of the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel into Phil Davies as preferred candidate for Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner not been published yet?
By John Brace (Editor)
and
Leonora Brace (Co-Editor)
Updated 20.4.20 – since this piece was published on the 19.4.20 the letter to the Police and Crime Commissioner and report about her preferred candidate Philip Davies for Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner has been published on the afternoon of the 20.4.20 and can now be read on Knowsley Council’s website.
Following the earlier blog post headlined Phil Davies faced grilling by Merseyside Police and Crime Panel as preferred candidate for Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner post, despite Phil Davies being reported as withdrawing his application I awaited with interest the publication of the report of the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel regarding the proposed appointment.
According to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, Sch. 1, paras 10(5-7) the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel must publish the report to the Police and Crime Commissioner on the senior appointment (in this case the proposed appointment of Phil Davies to Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner).
This triggered the three week period (which ended on Good Friday (10th April 2020)) and indeed one of the recommendations to the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel confirmation hearing was to:-
The Merseyside Police and Crime Panel’s Rules of Procedure (agreed at its meeting on the 11th July 2019) state “12.5 The Panel must publish the report on the web site and by sending copies to each of the Authorities, and by any other means the Panel considers appropriate.” but a reference in its Rules of Procedure to a three-week deadline at 12.3 is only stated with regards to the Panel sending a report to the Police and Crime Commissioner and not in rule 12.5.
It is also obvious that at the time of writing this piece (19th April 2020) which is a week and two calendar days after the three week deadline expired on 10th April 2020 (or if you don’t count the two bank holidays at least three working days past the deadline), that the report and letter from the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel about the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner hearing of preferred candidate Phil Davies hasn’t been published at this point (although you will find reports and letters on Knowsley Council’s website from other earlier confirmation hearings of the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel).
I asked Knowsley Council (who are the Host Authority for the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel) about the publication of the report of the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel about the proposed Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner appointment. The response received on the 8th April 2020 (the day before the public meeting) stated:-
I’m also not insensitive to the fact that at least one of the staff at Knowsley Council who would usually support the administration of the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel was redeployed from their usual duties because of the coronavirus pandemic to instead assist with Knowsley Council’s Volunteer Hub and Knowsley Council’s Communication Team.
However is Merseyside Police and Crime Panel required to also publish the report within 3 weeks of being notified of the proposed appointment (or not)? Please leave a comment.
Wirral Council’s two representatives on the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel are Cllr Adrian Jones (Labour) and Cllr Les Rowlands (Conservative).
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