Select Committee on Armed Forces Minutes of Evidence


Examination of Witness (Questions 720 - 723)

TUESDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2001

MR PAUL SCOTT-LEE

  720. The murder of personnel from the Armed Forces?
  (Mr Scott-Lee) I think that that would require discussion in terms of the circumstances, the location and, in particular, going back to my other points, what professional expertise they have in that locality. I am talking here not just in terms of officers with the experience but the scenes of crime back-up to be immediately available to give the service that is required. I think that would require discussion.

  721. Do you think there would be any professional rivalry between the two? Say the MoD police think they could be on it and the chief constable sort of takes them off it. Do you think that would be a problem?
  (Mr Scott-Lee) Not really, because it is not about rivalry, it is about wanting to get the job done. There may be a professional difference of opinion that says "I feel I have got the capacity to deal with it" and somebody is saying "I take a different view", but not rivalry.

Mr Key

  722. Chairman, I know from my own constituency that my constituents are always very pleased to see the Ministry of Defence police along with the other six police forces—some of them Service policemen and some of them from civilian police forces—which operate within our constituency. However, it is quite difficult for us on this Committee, because all the detail that we are talking about is going to be negotiated after the passage of this Bill, which is why we are probing this rather carefully. We are taking it on trust. Are you content that as a chief constable of a Home Office police force you will be able to satisfy your own police authority that the protocols you develop with the Ministry of Defence police are in the public interest and the interest of the people, in your case, of Suffolk and, in my case, of Wiltshire?
  (Mr Scott-Lee) Yes, I am.

Chairman

  723. Thank you very much. Are there any further or final questions to Mr Scott-Lee? No. Can I thank you very much indeed, Mr Scott-Lee, for what I and all Members of the Committee have found a very useful and very interesting evidence session. We very much appreciate the contribution you have made to our consideration of this Bill and the legislation to come. Thank you very much indeed for coming along this morning.
  (Mr Scott-Lee) Thank you, ma'am.





 
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