Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011

Long title

A Bill to make provision about the administration and governance of police forces; about the licensing of, and for the imposition of a late night levy in relation to, the sale and supply of alcohol; for the repeal of sections 132 to 138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 and for the prohibition of certain activities in Parliament Square; to enable provision in local authority byelaws to include powers of seizure and forfeiture; about the control of dangerous or otherwise harmful drugs; to restrict the issue of arrest warrants for certain extra-territorial offences; and for connected purposes.

Summary

<p>The Bill covers five distinct policy areas: police accountability and governance; alcohol licensing; the regulation of protests around Parliament Square; misuse of drugs; and the issue of arrest warrants in respect of private prosecutions for universal jurisdiction offences.</p><p><strong>Key areas</strong></p><ul><li>replaces police authorities with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners, with the aim of improving police accountability</li><li>amends and supplements the Licensing Act 2003 with the intention of &lsquo;rebalancing&rsquo; it in favour of local authorities, the police and local communities</li><li>sets out a new framework for regulating protests around Parliament Square. Relevant sections of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 would be repealed and the police would be given new powers to prevent encampments and the use of amplified noise equipment</li><li>enables the Home Secretary to temporarily ban drugs for up to a year, and removes the statutory requirement for the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to include members with experience in specified activities</li><li>introduces a new requirement for private prosecutors to obtain the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions prior to the issue of an arrest warrant for &lsquo;universal jurisdiction&rsquo; offences such as war crimes or torture. The Government's aim in introducing this change is to prevent the courts being used for political purposes.</li></ul>

Progress through Parliament

1. 1st reading· Commons

   30 November 2010 – 30 November 2010

2. 2nd reading· Commons

   13 December 2010 – 13 December 2010

3. Programme motion· Commons

   13 December 2010 – 13 December 2010

4. Money resolution· Commons

   13 December 2010 – 13 December 2010

5. Committee stage· Commons

   18 January 2011 – 17 February 2011

6. Programme motion· Commons

   30 March 2011 – 30 March 2011

7. Report stage· Commons

   30 March 2011 – 31 March 2011

8. 3rd reading· Commons

   31 March 2011 – 31 March 2011

9. 1st reading· Lords

   1 April 2011 – 1 April 2011

10. 2nd reading· Lords

    27 April 2011 – 27 April 2011

11. Committee stage· Lords

    11 May 2011 – 16 June 2011

12. Report stage· Lords

    29 June 2011 – 14 July 2011

13. 3rd reading· Lords

    20 July 2011 – 20 July 2011

14. Programme motion· Commons

    12 September 2011 – 12 September 2011

15. Consideration of Lords amendments· Commons

    12 September 2011 – 12 September 2011

16. Consideration of Commons amendments and / or reasons· Lords

    14 September 2011 – 14 September 2011

17. Royal Assent· Unassigned

    15 September 2011 – 15 September 2011