Fed secretary preparing for panelled debate at this year’s Conference

6 October 2023

The secretary of Suffolk Police Federation Ben Hudson is preparing to take part in a discussion about the impact disclosure rules continue to have on members at next week’s Annual Conference 2023.

Ben, who is also chair of the Police Federation National Detectives’ Forum (PFNDF) and is leading the #SimplifyDG6 campaign on behalf of the federation will take part in a conference session at the virtual event alongside the lead for disclosure on the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) Chief Constable Tim De Meyer. 

The session is set to explore the work that has been undertaken by the NPCC Disclosure Portfolio to mitigate the impact of the changes to Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidelines - that were made in 2021 that continue to impact members, including the burden these changes have placed on the ability of officers to deliver justice for victims of crime. 

“The changes to the CPS guidelines have had a serious consequence on policing - and not just officers, but victims of crime too. It’s clear that officers are spending a huge amount of time meticulously reviewing and redacting material, which in turn, is preventing them from focusing on other policing priorities,” said Ben.

“Not only will we be discussing what has happened over the past 12 months but we will be looking forward to potential changes in the future too.”

In August last year, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) launched its #SimplifyDG6 campaign, which aims to amend the data protection laws and the disclosure guidance so that members stop spending unnecessary time and resource on every case. 

Since last year’s Conference, plans to adjust the Data Protection Act 2018, have been tabled by Jane Hunt and Peter Aldous, the Conservative MPs for Loughborough and Waveney respectively. 

Under these plans, police officers and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would be exempt from certain data protection principles so they can share un-redacted data with each other when making charging decisions.

In turn, these changes to current legislation would free up officers’ time and save the Force valuable resources.

“It’s going to make for an interesting session. The campaign has made some serious progress in the past few months and I’m keen to hear what our members think about the work that has been undertaken on their behalf,” ended Ben.

“I look forward to debating on what is a very important topic and one that is quite clearly having a big impact on so many of our members.”

This year’s Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Annual Conference will take place virtually across two days, Tuesday (10 October) and Wednesday (11 October).

The online event, which is being hosted by Talk TV presenter Ian Collins, will be a mix of live broadcasts and pre-recorded presentations from senior Federation officials as well as experts in policing, Government, and the Home Office.

PFEW Conference 2023 Agenda

Tuesday 10 October (9am - 4pm):

9am: Welcome

9.30am: Secretary’s update

10.15am: Leadership in policing

11am: Response officer of the year award

11.15am: Misogyny - accept, change, trust

Midday: Future thinking of Mutual Aid

1.15pm: Home office review impact on independent panels

2pm: Retirement - transition into the unknown

3pm: Disclosure and redaction - championing change

3.45pm: Wrap up and close

Wednesday 11 October (9am - 4.30pm):

9am: Welcome

9.15am: CEO update 

10am: Industrial rights

11am: Workforce under pressure - a true picture of police wellbeing

Midday: Recognition awards

1.30pm: Keynote address

3.15pm: Treasurer’s report and motions to conference

3.45pm: Q&A panel session

4.15pm: Wrap up and close

Registration is now open via the PFEW website here.