POLICE PAY SETTLEMENT

That this House is aware that no police negotiating board have so far been unable to reach agreement on this year's pay settlement for the United Kingdom's 170,000 police officers; recognises that the traditional method of annual linkage of police pay to the private sector has so far been found to be satisfactory; however is alarmed that following the recently commissioned Booth Review on a new pay index this time based upon a median of a number of other public sector pay settlements is being proposed; believes that such a change of approach towards police officers annual pay settlements flies in the face of previously successful formulae which have given the profession stability and the confidence that they won't fall behind other groups of workers; and calls upon the Government to again recognise the unique role of police officers in society to reflect upon the dangers the police face in their employment and to stick with what works as far as their pay settlement is concerned.