Member

As a Government, we are committed to ensuring that chief constables have the necessary powers to remove those who have no place in policing, but this amendment could have a significant detrimental effect on public confidence. I will give one example to the noble Lord, Lord Hogan-Howe. A timeline on an investigation into gross misconduct could mean that an investigation could be terminated not because it has been resolved but because of an arbitrary time limit being reached. The time limit proposed here could mean that significantly complex, difficult cases are terminated without a resolution for the victim or, indeed, for the police officer against whom any allegations are made.