These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State under the Police Act 1996, amend the Police Regulations 2003 concerning part-time appointments and annual leave for police officers in England and Wales.
Specifically, the changes remove the obligation for chief officers to consult local representatives when appointing part-time officers, ensure equal treatment for part-time officers regarding probation and overtime, and allow annual leave to be taken in flexible 'periods' rather than fixed 'days' or 'half days'.
Arguments For
Streamlines the appointment process for part-time police officers by removing the mandatory requirement for chief officers to consult with local representatives of representative bodies.
Aims to ensure parity between part-time and full-time officers regarding probation and overtime entitlements.
Increases flexibility for police officers in taking annual leave by allowing it to be granted and taken in shorter increments than just 'days' or 'half days', substituting these measures with 'periods'.
Arguments Against
Removing consultation with local representatives might reduce the input of staff associations regarding the appointment of part-time staff, potentially impacting local staff morale or representation.
Amending regulations without seeking advice from the Senior Salaries Review Body or the Police Remuneration Review Body, though deemed unnecessary by the Secretary of State, might raise questions about the consideration given to remuneration and working conditions impacts.
Changing leave entitlements from 'days' to 'periods' may introduce ambiguity in calculating leave duration if not clearly defined elsewhere.
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 50(1), 2(c) and 2(j) of the Police Act 1996¹.
The Secretary of State issued these Regulations by using the authority granted under specific subsections (sections 50(1), 2(c), and 2(j)) of the Police Act 1996.
In accordance with section 50(2ZC)² of that Act, and in so far as these Regulations relate to matters specified in that section, the text of these Regulations has been approved by the College of Policing.
If these rules touch upon areas governed by section 50(2ZC) of the Police Act 1996, the actual text of the Regulations has received official approval from the College of Policing.
In accordance with section 52A(5)(b)³ of that Act, and in so far as these Regulations relate to matters specified in section 52A(1), the Secretary of State has not considered advice from the Senior Salaries Review Body or referred these matters to the Police Remuneration Review Body because the Secretary of State considers is unnecessary to do so by reason of the nature of these Regulations.
Because of the nature of these changes, the Secretary of State determined it was unnecessary to seek advice from the Senior Salaries Review Body or the Police Remuneration Review Body concerning matters falling under section 52A(1) of the Act.
In accordance with section 52A(6) of that Act, and in so far as these Regulations relate to matters specified in section 52A(1), the Secretary of State has supplied a draft of them to, and considered any representations made by, persons whom the Secretary of State considers to represent the interests of those persons referred to in section 52A(6).
The Secretary of State provided a draft of the Regulations to groups representing the affected interests, as specified in section 52A(6), and took into account any feedback received from them.
Citation, commencement and extent 1.
This section establishes the official name, the date the Regulations become effective, and the geographic area to which they apply.
(1)These Regulations may be cited as the Police (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 29th December 2025.
The official title for these rules is 'The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2025', and they legally take effect on December 29th, 2025.
(2)These Regulations extend to England and Wales.
The provisions within these Regulations apply only to matters within England and Wales.
Amendment of the Police Regulations 2003 2.
This segment specifies that the current regulations introduce changes to the existing Police Regulations 2003.
The Police Regulations⁴ 2003 are amended as follows.
The Police Regulations published in 2003 are modified in the ways detailed in the subsequent provisions.
Amendment to regulation 5 (part-time appointments) 3.
This section details the modifications being made to Regulation 5 of the 2003 Regulations, which specifically governs appointments for part-time police officers.
In regulation 5—
The following changes apply directly to Regulation 5 of the 2003 Regulations.
(a)in paragraph (1), omit “, after consultation with local representatives of the representative bodies,”, and
In paragraph (1) of Regulation 5, the requirement for chief officers to consult with local representatives of the staff bodies before making appointments is being removed.
(b)omit paragraph (7).
Paragraph (7) of Regulation 5 is being entirely removed from the existing rules.
Amendment to regulation 33 (leave) 4.
This section outlines the amendments specifically targeting Regulation 33 of the 2003 Regulations, which deals with police officer leave.
In regulation 33, in paragraph (2)
The changes detailed below affect paragraph (2) within Regulation 33.
(a)in sub-paragraph (a), for “days” substitute “periods”
, and
Within sub-paragraph (a), the term 'days' is replaced with the term 'periods' when referring to the granting of leave.
(b)in sub-paragraph (b)—
The following amendments apply to sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (2) within Regulation 33.
(i)for “days”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “periods”
, and
The first occurrence of the word 'days' in sub-paragraph (b) is substituted with the word 'periods'.
(ii)for the words from “or as single days” substitute “or as a number of different periods”
.
The phrase 'or as single days' is replaced with the phrase 'or as a number of different periods', increasing flexibility regarding how leave can be structured.
Related
The Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order 2026
The Order established 500-metre safety zones around three offshore installations undergoing decommissioning and revoked safety zones for three other specific offshore features.
Read MoreThe Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Bristol) (Emergency) (No. 2) Regulations 2026
The Secretary of State imposed immediate, temporary emergency restrictions prohibiting low-altitude flight below 1,500 feet over the M5 Avon Bridge area near Bristol, effective immediately via Statutory Instrument.
Read MoreCorrection Slip
The document formally corrected a cross-reference error within Regulation 13(5) of The Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2026.
Read MoreCorrection Slip
A typographical error in the signature block on page 10 of The Social Security Contributions (Umbrella Companies) Regulations 2026 has been formally corrected to read 'Justin Holliday'.
Read More