Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make amendments for and in connection with the appointment of police and crime commissioners as members of certain fire and rescue authorities.

Appointment of police and crime commissioners as members of a fire and rescue authority

Part 2 of these Regulations amend various fire and rescue authority combination schemes (“the Schemes”) to enable the combined fire and rescue authorities created by them to appoint a police and crime commissioner as one of their members. This follows the provision made in section 7 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3) which enables police and crime commissioners to be represented on all types of fire and rescue authorities.

The following combined fire and rescue authorities will be able to appoint police and crime commissioners as members as a result of the provisions made by these Regulations:

(a)

the Avon Fire Authority (article 3 and Schedule 1),

(b)

the Cleveland Fire Authority (article 4 and Schedule 2)

(c)

the Humberside Fire Authority (article 5 and Schedule 3),

(d)

the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Combined Fire Authority (article 6 and Schedule 4),

(e)

the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority (article 7 and Schedule 5),

(f)

the Derbyshire Fire Authority (article 8 and Schedule 6),

(g)

the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority (article 9 and Schedule 7),

(h)

the East Sussex Fire Authority (article 10 and Schedule 8),

(i)

the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority (article 11 and Schedule 9),

(j)

the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority (article 12 and Schedule 10),

(k)

the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority (article 13 and Schedule 11),

(l)

the Cheshire Fire Authority (article 14 and Schedule 12),

(m)

the Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority (article 15 and Schedule 13)

(n)

the Kent and Medway Towns Fire Authority (article 16 and Schedule 14),

(o)

the Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority (article 17 and Schedule 15),

(p)

the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority (article 18 and Schedule 16),

(q)

the Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire Authority (article 19 and Schedule 17),

(r)

the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority (article 20 and Schedule 18), and

(s)

the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority (article 21 and Schedule 19).

Part 2 also makes various changes to the Schemes in consequence of the provision enabling the appointment of police and crime commissioners as members. Minor amendments are also made to the Schemes to remove references to provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 which have been repealed.

Payment of allowances

Part 3 of these Regulations amends the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowance) (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/1021) so that there is no requirement for a combined authority to pay any allowances to a police and crime commissioner who is appointed, in that capacity, as a member of the authority (article 22).

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.