Specified Information

Police and Crime Commissioners publish information to allow the public to hold them to account. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 says what information Commissioners should make available.

For this to be effective, Government has issued the Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011 (amended 2021) to make sure that the public have timely access to independent and clear information.

The information order has set a minimum evidence base – a specific set of information to be made available – for the public to use when holding Commissioners to account. A consistent minimum evidence base will also allow the public to compare different police force areas.

This includes decisions that are made, progress on the Police and Crime Plan, Fire and Rescue plan, PFCC Annual report and Spending/Budgets to name a few.

Specified Information Order

1. In relation to the relevant office holders of the elected local policing body:

(a) the name of each relevant office holder; PCC / (Oath of Office)

(b) the address for correspondence of each relevant office holder;

Office address

Office of the Commissioner for Staffordshire

Staffordshire Police HQ,
Block 9,
Weston Road,
Stafford,
ST18 0YY

Phone: 01785 232385

Email: PFCC@staffordshire-pfcc.gov.uk

(c) the salary of each relevant office holder; PCC

(d) the allowances paid to each relevant office holder in respect of expenses incurred by the office holder in the exercise of the body’s functions;

(e) a register of interests of relevant office holders, including every paid employment or office or other pecuniary interest of each relevant office holder.
PCC:  Notification of Disclosable Interests Register

(f) the number of complaints  or conduct matters that have been brought to the attention of a relevant office holder by the police and crime panel (either because they have been referred to the Independent Office for Police Complaints, or because they are being subjected to informal resolution by the panel).

2. In relation to the staff (and, in relation to gifts and hospitality, also the relevant office holders) of the elected local policing body:

(a) the number of members of the staff;

(b) the proportion of the staff who-

(i) are women,

(ii) are, to the knowledge of the elected local policing body, members of an ethnic minority,

(iii) have, to the knowledge of the elected local policing body, a disability (within the meaning of section 6 of the Equality Act 2010(a));

(c) an organisational chart showing the structure of the staff;

(d) the job title, responsibilities and salary of each senior employee and (unless the senior employee refuses to consent to the publication of his name) the name of the senior employee;

(e) a register of each offer of a gift or hospitality made to a relevant office holder or member of staff, indicating whether the offer was accepted or refused – Gifts, Gratuities & Hospitality

2A. In relation to:

(a) the duty of the chief officer of the police force maintained by the elected local policing body to provide assistance to the body under section 2(5) or 4(5) of the 2011 Act; and

(b) the power of a local authority to provide administrative, professional or technical services to the elected local policing body under section 1(1) of the Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970

(c), information as to any arrangements for use by the elected local policing body of the staff of the chief officer or of a local authority under those provisions.

Staffordshire Commissioner’s Office do not have such a specific arrangement but we do have a Memorandum of Understanding which states that we can use the following service of the Staffordshire Police as and when required: Finance, HR, Occupational Health, Information Technology.

3. In relation to the income and expenditure of the elected local policing body:

(a) the total budget of the elected local policing body;

(b) where the elected local policing body is a police and crime commissioner, the Precept issued by the Commissioner; the Police Fire and Crime Panel response to this draft Precept.

(b)(i) where the elected Fire and Rescue Authority is a police and crime Commissioner, the Precept issued by the Commissioner; the Police Fire and Crime Panel response to this draft Precept.

(c) information as to each anticipated source of revenue of the elected local policing body (other than, in the case of a police and crime commissioner, the precept);

(d) 2022-23 budget report of the elected local policing body;

(e) a copy of the Annual Investment Strategy; Police; Fire; of the elected local policing body;

(f) information as to each crime and disorder reduction grant made by the elected local policing body, including the conditions (if any) attached to the grant, the recipient of the grant, the purpose of the grant and the reasons why the body considered that the grant would secure, or contribute to securing, crime and disorder reduction in the body’s area;

(g) information as to each item of expenditure of :

(i) the elected local policing body, or

(ii) the chief officer of the police force maintained by the body, exceeding £500 (other than a crime and disorder reduction grant made by the elected local policing body or an item of expenditure to which sub-paragraph (h) applies), including the recipient of the funds, the purpose of the expenditure and the reasons why the body or the chief officer (as the case may be) considered that good value for money would be obtained.

(h) information as to each item of expenditure of the elected local policing body in relation to travel by, accommodation for, or the subsistence of, a relevant office holder, including the recipient of the funds, the purpose of the expenditure and the reasons why the elected local policing body considered that good value for money would be obtained.

The PFCC & CC are satisfied that the spend on contracts represent Value For Money because:

• For orders below £5,000, contract regulations require that good procurement practice is followed to ensure that the Force and PFCC obtain good value for money
• For orders above £5,000 and below £172,514, contract regulations are specific in this regard and the Procurement Department must manage the procurement process in line with those requirements and this includes three prior written quotations unless specific dispensations apply where criteria must be met and approvals followed.
• For orders above £172,514, the Procurement Department must manage the procurement process in line with the specific procurement requirements, including the provisions of EU Procurement directives where appropriate which are mandatory. Transactions of this value must follow a tendering process. Tenders will be invited from at least 3 proposed contractors.

Value for Money has been included on each line of spend over £500 for the PFCC on the force website link with effect from July 2014.  The lists are published so that the public can see how the Force and the PFCC spends its budget in greater detail and is part of our commitment to being open and transparent.

4. In relation to the property, rights and liabilities of the elected local policing body:

(a) the identity of any premises or land owned by, or occupied for the purposes of, the elected local policing body; –  Property Asset Register (PDF,)

(b) a copy of each contract with a value exceeding £10,000 to which:

(i) the elected local policing body, or

(ii) the chief officer of the police force maintained by the body, is or is to be a party;

(c) a copy of each invitation to tender issued by:

(i) the elected local policing body, or

(ii) the chief officer of the police force maintained by the body, in relation to a contract which the body or chief officer (as the case may be) expects will have a value exceeding £10,000;

(d) a list of every contract with a value not exceeding £10,000 to which:

(i) the elected local policing body, or

(ii) the chief officer of the police force maintained by the body, is or is to be a party, including the value of the contract, the identity of every other party to the contract and the purpose of the contract.

5. In relation to the decisions of the elected local policing body:

(a) the date, time and place of each public meeting to be held by the elected local policing body;

(b) a copy of the agenda for each public meeting held by the elected local policing body, and any report or other document that is the subject matter of an item on the agenda;

(c) a copy of the minutes of each public meeting held by the elected local policing body, and of each meeting which is not a public meeting but at which matters of significant public interest arising from the exercise of the body’s functions are discussed.

(d) a record of each decision of significant public interest arising from the exercise of the elected local policing body’s functions, whether made by the body at or as a result of a meeting or otherwise.

6. In relation to the policies of the elected local policing body:

(a) a statement of the policy of the elected local policing body in relation to the conduct of relevant office holders, including procedures for the handling of qualifying complaints and conduct matters (within the meaning of section 31 of the 2011 Act);

(b) a statement of the policy of the elected local policing body in relation to the making of decisions of significant public interest arising from the exercise of the body’s functions;

(c) a statement of the policy of the elected local policing body in relation to records management, including procedures for the security and sharing of information and the retention and destruction of documents;

Privacy Policy

Records Retention and Disposal Policy

(d) a statement of the policy of the elected local policing body in relation to the handling of qualifying disclosures (within the meaning of section 43B of the Employment Rights Act 1996(a)

7. In relation to the prevention of crime and disorder, a copy of any report required by the elected local policing body from the responsible authorities for a local government area under section 7(1) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998(b).

7A.  In relation to the key national priorities for policing, as communicated to elected local policing bodies by the Secretary of State—

(a) a statement on the contribution of the police force maintained by the elected local policing body to achieving improvements against those priorities;

(b) an explanation of which of the national priorities are assessed to be applicable and which not applicable in the context of the relevant police area and the reasons for that assessment.

7B.  In relation to inspections and reports by the inspectors of constabulary under section 54(2) of the Police Act 1996 (appointment and functions of inspectors of constabulary)(2), the most recent—

(a) annual report on the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy of the police force maintained by the elected local policing body;

(b) summary assessment of the performance of the police force maintained by the elected local policing body.

7C.  In relation to complaints concerning the police force maintained by the elected local policing body—

(a) the most recent—

(i) quarterly data in relation to that police force;

(ii) annual statistics report,

published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct;

(b) a report setting out—

(i) details of how the elected local policing body has fulfilled its duty under—

(aa) in the case of police and crime commissioners, section 1(8)(ca) of the 2011 Act (police and crime commissioners)(3) to hold the chief constable to account for the exercise of the chief constable’s functions under Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002(4) in relation to the

(bb) in the case of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, section 3(8)(ca) of the 2011 Act (Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime)(5) to hold the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to account for the exercise of the Commissioner’s functions under Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002 in relation to the handling of complaints;

(ii) an assessment by the elected local policing body of its performance in exercising its functions under paragraph 30(1)(b) of Schedule 3 to the Police Reform Act 2002 (reviews: the relevant review body)(

(iii) where the elected local policing body has given notice to the chief officer of the police force maintained by the body under section 13A of the Police Reform Act 2002 (local policing bodies: functions in relation to complaints)(7) that it is to exercise certain functions of the chief officer in relation to complaints, an assessment by the body of its performance in exercising those functions.

8. In relation to the Independent Custody Visitor arrangements made under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002(a), information as to the operation of the arrangements.
9. Additional transparency items

9.1 Audited accounts: (the specialist examination of the accounts of the office of the PCC)

9.2 Auditors opinions of the audited accounts of the force & PCC, covering any significant issues and any comments.

9.3 The annual accounting statement showing how the budget has been spent.

9.4 Audit Reports on the accounts of the office of the PCC (please see the Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2011 and the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations 2005).

9.5 List of FOI requests received, and their responses (disclosure log).