Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill (HL Bill 62 of 2010-11)

This Library Note provides background reading for the second reading debate of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill. The Bill is broad in scope and application. Part 1 of the Bill contains provisions to replace Police Authorities with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners, and to create Police and Crime Panels to oversee the work of those Commissioners. Part 2 amends and supplements the Licensing Act 2003, with the aim of ‘rebalancing’ it in favour of local authorities, the police and local communities. Part 3 provides a new framework for demonstrations in Parliament Square, including the repeal of the relevant sections of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. Part 4 contains provisions for temporary drug banning orders and to make changes to the rules governing membership of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. It also introduces a new requirement for the Director of Public Prosecutions to give consent before arrest warrants are issued in private prosecutions for universal jurisdiction offences.

This Note summarises proceedings on the Bill at report stage and third reading in the House of Commons, and is intended to be read in conjunction with House of Commons Library Research Papers ‘Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill [Bill 116 of 2010–11]’ (9 December 2010, RP 10/81) and ‘Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill: Committee Stage Report’ (24 March 2011, RP 11/28), which provide background to the Bill and cover proceedings at earlier stages in the Commons.