Energy Act 2023

308 Provision of assistance to other forces

(1) The Energy Act 2004 is amended as follows.

(2) After section 55A (inserted by section 307 of this Act) insert—

“55B Provision of assistance to other forces

(1) The chief constable may, on the application of the chief officer of a relevant force, provide members of the Constabulary or other assistance for the purpose of enabling that force to meet any special demand on its resources.

(2) The policing body maintaining a relevant force for which assistance is provided under this section must pay to the Police Authority such charges—

(a) as may be agreed between the policing body and the Police Authority, or

(b) in the absence of any such agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

(3) The chief constable must ensure that the provision of assistance under this section does not prejudice the carrying out of the primary function of the Constabulary under section 52(2).

(4) In this section—

• “chief officer” means—

  (a)

  a chief officer of police of a police force for a police area in England and Wales;

  (b)

  the chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland;

  (c)

  the chief constable of the British Transport Police Force; or

  (d)

  the chief constable of the Ministry of Defence Police;

• “policing body” means—

  (a)

  in relation to a police force for a police area in England and Wales, the relevant local policing body in the meaning of section 101(1) of the Police Act 1996;

  (b)

  in relation to the Police Service of Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority;

  (c)

  in relation to the British Transport Police Force, the British Transport Police Authority;

  (d)

  in relation to the Ministry of Defence Police, the Secretary of State;

• “relevant force” means—

  (a)

  a police force for a police area in England and Wales;

  (b)

  the Police Service of Scotland;

  (c)

  the British Transport Police Force; or

  (d)

  the Ministry of Defence Police.”

(3) In section 59 (members of constabulary serving with other forces), after subsection (3) insert—

“(3A) For the purposes of this section, a member of the Constabulary who is provided for the assistance of a relevant force under section 55B is to be treated as serving with that force under arrangements of the kind mentioned in subsection (1).”