Dear Sir or Madam,

Background

Part 9 of Annex "F" (a Determination for Regulation 24 of the Police Regulations 2003) sets out the procedure for the payment of Competence-Related Threshold Payment ("CRTP") to police officers up to the rank of chief inspector. Paragraphs 1 to 6 set out the entitlement for this payment, and paragraphs 7, 8 and 9 set out the circumstances in which payment may be ceased, i.e. re-assessment due to concerns with respect to the maintenance of high professional standards by a member in receipt of the payment, promotion to a higher rank, and temporary promotion to a higher rank, respectively.

There are *no* provisions in the Determination, or under any other statute, that make it lawful for payment of CRTP to be ceased whilst a member of a police force is in receipt of temporary salary under Regulation 27(a) and Annex "I", i.e. the member has been required to perform the duties normally performed by a member of the force of a higher rank than his own ("acting-up").

As a consequence of some forces failing to comply with Regulations as described, agreement of both sides in PNB of the correct interpretation (as set out in PNB Circular 4/2008) led to the issue of Home Office Circular 18/2008 in which forces were advised that paragraph 14 of the PNB Circular ("Officers who are on acting up should receive their CRTP") "*will* take effect from the 1st July 2008" (my emphasis).

Request

I seek to establish:

(1) whether or not your force complies with Home Office Circular 18/2008 and Police Regulations and Determinations as described above, by continuing to pay CRTP to a member who, having been awarded CRTP, is in receipt of temporary salary (NB - "acting up", NOT temporarily promoted to a higher rank under Regulation 27(b) and Annex "J").

If you do not so comply:

(2) please advise by what legal authority your force ceases making such payments; and

(3) please advise what action you take when an inspector, on pay point 3 (top rate) and in receipt of CRTP, is required to perform the duties of a chief inspector, whose pay is less than that of such an officer. NB - the exception set out in paragraph 9 of Part 9 of Annex "F" *DOES NOT APPLY* to temporary salary - it applies only to temporary promotion under Regulation 27(b).

Yours faithfully,

William Old