Explanatory note

These Regulations consolidate with amendments the regulations revoked by regulation 8 and Schedule 3.

Regulation 2(2) has been amended to reflect amendments made by the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994. Regulations 6 and 7(5)(a) have been amended because the Police Regulations 1995 no longer provide for the authorised establishment of a police force. Regulation 2(3) has been amended to add references to maternity leave in reckoning service.

Under regulation 3(4) probationary service in various constabularies counts as probationary service for the purposes of regulation 3(1). This provision has been changed by adding to the constabularies listed.

The drafting of Schedule 1 has been changed to refer to persons acting on behalf of the examinations board (and references to the examination agency accordingly omitted). Paragraph 5(5) of that Schedule imposes a new restriction on the circumstances in which a member of a police force can resit Part I of the qualifying examination.

Schedule 2 to the Regulations is amended to end the recognition of Scottish examinations for promotion to the rank of sergeant or inspector unless the examination had been passed before the coming into force of these Regulations. Schedule 2 has also been amended so that, where a member of the Royal Parks Constabulary, the States of Jersey Police, the Ministry of Defence Police or Dover Harbour Board Police has passed an examination which is the same as the examination for the time being constituting a qualifying examination under these Regulations (or the Regulations revoked by these Regulations), that examination is treated as a pass for the purposes of regulation 3 if that member subsequently becomes a member of a police force (within the meaning of the Police Act 1964).

Regulation 3(5) has been added to allow a person who has passed the Scottish examination after the coming into force of these Regulations and has served no less than a year in the rank in question in a Scottish force to qualify for promotion to that rank in an English force.