221.Section 79 requires the Secretary of State to issue a policing protocol.
222.Subsection (2) provides that all relevant persons must have regard to the protocol when discharging their functions – “relevant persons” are defined for these purposes in subsection (6) as the Secretary of State when exercising policing functions, elected local policing bodies, chief officers of police, and police and crime panels.
223.Subsection (3) provides that the Secretary of State may at any time vary or replace the protocol.
224.Subsection (4) sets out the duty on the Secretary of State to consult with those who represent the views of elected local policing bodies; those who represent the views of chief police officers of forces maintained by elected local policing bodies; those who represent the views of police and crime panels; and any other persons that the Secretary of state thinks fit, before varying or replacing the protocol.
225.Subsection (5) sets out that the Secretary of State may exercise her functions under subsection (1) and (3) by order.
226.Subsection (6) sets out the definition of a police and crime panel, the protocol, and relevant persons, for the purposes of this section.