Agenda and draft minutes

Surrey Police and Crime Panel Complaints Sub-Committee - Thursday, 15 September 2016 11.30 am

Venue: G44 - County Hall. View directions

Contact: Huma Younis or Sharmina Ullah  Email: huma.younis@surreycc.gov.uk, Email: sharmina.ullah@surreycc.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

26/16

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

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    The Chairman to report apologies for absence.

    Minutes:

    Apologies were received from Cllr Dorothy Ross-Tomlin. It was agreed that Councillor David Reeve would Chair the meeting following on from the previous meeting which had been adjourned.

     

27/16

DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

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    To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests from Members of the Panel in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.

    Minutes:

    There were no declarations of interests.

28/16

EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

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    Recommendation: That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972 and in accordance with the Panel’s agreed protocol, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information under the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

    Minutes:

    The Sub-Committee considered whether it would be in the public interest for its consideration of the complaint to be held in public.  The Chairman invited the members of the Press present at the meeting to make representations in support of a public discussion; the member of the press raised the following points:

     

    • The complaint related to a public official rather than a private individual, and there was significant public interest in issues relating to their conduct.

    • Public officials should be held to account in an open process.

    • It was difficult to see how the private interest could outweigh the public interest, particularly in the light of the Police & Crime Commissioner’s stated commitment to openness and transparency.

     

    The Sub-Committee noted that in reaching its decision it needed to balance these points against the reasons for holding the discussion in private, which were outlined as follows:

     

    • The Sub-Committee was not conducting a hearing, but was seeking informal resolution of the complaint in accordance with its terms of reference following referral back by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

    • The Regulations were intended to encourage informal resolution of less serious matters and avoid unnecessary investigations, and discussions about achieving an informal resolution may be prejudiced by the presence of the public.  The public interest would be best served by resolving such matters as simply as possible.

    • Some of the information to be discussed by the Sub-Committee had been provided in confidence.

    • The Police & Crime Commissioner would not be present to put his view to the Sub-Committee.

     

    Following discussion of the points raised, the Sub-Committee unanimously agreed that on balance it was in the public interest for its discussion to be held in private, and

     

    Resolved: That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972 and in accordance with the Police & Crime Panel’s agreed protocol, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information under paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

     

29/16

COMPLAINT AGAINST THE SURREY POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER (ADJOURNED MEETING OF 29 JULY 2016)

    In accordance with the Elected Local Policing Bodies (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2012 and the Panel’s agreed complaints protocol, the Complaints Sub-Committee is asked to seek the informal resolution of the attached complaint.

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee discussed the complaint against the Police & Crime Commissioner. Having reviewed submissions from both parties, it was

 

 RESOLVED: That a letter of explanation be sent to the complainant, in line with the arrangements set out in the Panel's Complaints Protocol.

 

It was agreed a copy of this letter would also be sent to the Police & Crime Commissioner.

 

 

 

 

 

30/16

PUBLICITY OF PART 2 ITEMS

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    Minutes:

    Resolved: The Sub-Committee agreed a press statement would be drafted.