PABEW meeting minutes, 3 February 2026
Updated 22 October 2026
Applies to England and Wales
© Crown copyright 2026
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3 February 2026, 10:30 to 13:30
Members present:
Independent Chair
Gaon Hart
PABEW Secretariat
Chris Moore
Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW)
John Partington
Mel Warnes
Bahar Munim
Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA)
Dan Murphy
Chief Police Officers’ Staff Association (CPOSA)
Gareth Wilson
Shabir hussain
Andy Prophet
National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC)
Stella Brooks
Andy Fittes
Claire Neale
Kevin Courtney
Yemoja Rowe
Vickie Lambert
College of Policing (CoP)
Sue Abbott
Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC)
Andrew Tremayne
Met Police
Anthony Richards
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)
Kate Gregory
MET Trade Union
Valerie Harris
Welcome and Apologies
1. The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, and noted that Kate Gregory (HMICFRS) had sent her apologies.
Minutes of the meeting 09 December 2025
2. Minutes were agreed from the 09 December 2025 meeting.
Action Point 1: Secretariat to finalise minutes of 09 December 2025 meeting and publish on the webpage. Action: Ongoing
Action log of 9 December 2025
The Chair went through all open actions from the previous meeting.
Action Point 2: Members to provide written feedback to the Chair on the survey results, identifying areas where changes or actions could improve Board effectiveness.
3. The chair closed the Action.
Action Point 4: The Chair, supported by the Secretariat, to draft a neutral letter to the White Paper team setting out PABEW’s reflections on future recruitment and skills, the impact of AI, and reward strategy, for circulation to members prior to issue.
4. The Chair closed the action.
Action Point 5: Dan Murphy (PSA), supported by Tom Naughton (Met Police), to provide Anthony Richards (Met Police) with details of the pension-related concern regarding voluntary exit calculations.
5. The Chair closed the action as contact was made.
Action Point 6: Anthony Richards (Met Police) to provide a written response to PABEW confirming the position on the pension-related concern.
6. The Chair closed the action following update from Anthony Richards (Met Police).
Action Point 7: Members to confirm to the Chair whether routine Police Consultative Forum updates would be useful for inclusion in PABEW papers
7. The Chair closed the action but will include PCF updates.
\^ Action Point 10: Gareth Wilson (CPOSA) to provide a short written summary of governance issues relating to voluntary exit and severance schemes for consideration ahead of the next PABEW meeting.
8. Gareth Wilson (CPOSA) said he was hopeful of SSRB observations in relation to the submission to be made by the next PABEW, and once received, he would send through a paper. The Chair kept the action open.
Outstanding action points from previous meetings
Action Point 2: Stella Brooks (NPCC) will reach out to Adrian Rutherford (NPCC) for an update on Fitness testing concerns and report back to the PABEW
9. Stella made contact but no update was available, she recommended keeping the action open. The chair agreed.
White Paper Discussion
10. The Chair introduced a discussion on the police reform White Paper, noting that it would become a standing agenda item at future meetings.
11. Andy Prophet (CPOSA) noted the proposals presented both opportunities and risks, particularly the need to balance national coordination with local policing and accountability.
12. John Partington (PFEW) outlined five tests PFEW will use to assess the reforms, including strengthening frontline policing, supporting officers, maintaining standards and ensuring reforms are properly funded. He also raised concerns about licensing to practise and the potential impact on frontline resources.
13. Dan Murphy (PSA) highlighted the need to consider reforms from a PABEW perspective, particularly regarding pay, pensions and terms and conditions, and potential impacts on workforce demand and retention.
14. Val Harries (Met Trade Union) raised concerns about change fatigue within the Metropolitan Police Service and emphasised the need to ensure police staff are fully considered.
15. Andrew Tremayne (APCC) highlighted the importance of clear governance and accountability, particularly if policing structures become larger or more centralised, noting that the Leadership Commission will report in May.
16. Shabir Hussain (CPOSA) emphasised the importance of maintaining effective public contact arrangements, including control rooms.
17. Gareth Wilson (CPOSA) stressed the importance of ensuring effective local governance and accountability in any future structures.
18. The Chair concluded that the discussion had identified a number of issues requiring further consideration and encouraged members to bring forward practical proposals at future meetings.
Action Point 2: Secretariat to explore inviting a Police Scotland representative involved in the merger process to attend a future meeting to share lessons learned.
PABEW Secondment Guidance Update
19. Andy Fittes (NPCC) provided an update on the secondment guidance, noting that it had been in place for one year and had been tabled to review feedback received. He thanked the Secretariat for forwarding queries. He advised that limited feedback had been received. Most queries related to the central service allowance, which had been removed from the revised guidance pending further consideration.
20. Additional queries had been received regarding temporary promotion during secondment, the length of secondments, and overseas deployments. Andy Fittes suggested that a working group be established to consider these issues and bring recommendations back to PABEW.
21. The Chair supported establishing a working group to review the guidance and invited members interested in participating to contact the Secretariat.
Action Point 3: Members interested in joining the secondment guidance working group to notify the Secretariat. Secretariat to coordinate the group.
Special Constables
22. The Chair introduced a discussion item on Special Constables, noting that no paper had been circulated and the purpose was to open discussion.
23. John Partington (PFEW) noted that the Police Federation of England and Wales now represents Special Constables and had been engaging with the NPCC lead, ACC Bill Dutton, on related issues. He highlighted the significant decline in Special Constable numbers, from around 20,000 to just over 5,000. He suggested that a number of factors may be contributing to this, including increased scrutiny associated with policing and inconsistency in expenses and allowances following revised Home Office guidance.
24. The Chair invited members’ views on whether there should be a policy objective to encourage greater use of Special Constables.
25. Val Harries (Met Trade Union) noted that some police staff also serve as Special Constables, which can create risks where disciplinary or vetting issues arise affecting both roles.
26. Andy Prophet (CPOSA) noted that Special Constables can provide significant value to policing but that rebuilding numbers would require investment in recruitment, training and support.
27. The Chair said that lack of support and infrastructure may also contribute to declining numbers and highlighted the importance of ensuring volunteers feel properly supported.
28. Andy Fittes (NPCC) pointed out that work had previously been undertaken during COVID on recognition and incentives for Special Constables, including advice issued to forces on rewarding volunteers without creating a salary arrangement. He also highlighted that the Special Constable regulations date largely from the 1960s, suggesting they may benefit from review.
29. Shabir Hussain (CPOSA) questioned whether the role of Special Constables was compatible with increasing professionalisation of policing and raised concerns regarding accountability and liability associated with volunteer officers.
30. The Chair noted that the discussion raised wider questions about the future role of Special Constables, including regulation, support and incentives, and suggested that this could be explored further through a working group, particularly given references to Special Constables in the police reform White Paper.
31. John Partington (PFEW) supported this proposal and suggested that the NPCC lead for Special Constables, ACC Bill Dutton, be invited to contribute.
32. Stella Brooks (NPCC) noted that the NPCC Workforce Committee would shortly be meeting to discuss workforce issues following publication of the White Paper and offered to share any relevant updates.
Action Point 4: At the request of the Chair, PFEW to establish and chair a working group on Special Constables, including inviting ACC Bill Dutton (NPCC) to contribute and bringing proposals back to PABEW.
Police Pensions: UK Police Pensions Consultative Forum & Scheme Advisory Board Update
33. The Chair provided an update on the 27 January 2026 SAB meeting.
34. On pensions remedy, the Chair noted that work is now approximately 96% complete as at 31 December, with 4,401 RSS cases remaining outstanding. The majority relate to immediate choice members requiring more complex calculations, and it is expected that around 75% of the remaining cases will be issued by the end of March. The Chair welcomed the significant progress made, while noting that some members continue to wait for their remedy position to be confirmed.
35. The Chair also highlighted concerns raised by pension boards regarding pension opt-outs, particularly among younger officers, and emphasised the importance of ensuring individuals are able to make informed decisions about pension participation.
36. Stella Brooks (NPCC) noted that a pension opt-out form had recently been issued to forces and that information will now be collected to better understand the reasons individuals choose to opt out.
37. Mel Warnes (PFEW) highlighted strong engagement with pension webinars, and the Chair suggested these could be promoted more widely.
Action 5: Mel Warnes (PFEW) to share the webinar sign-up link with the Secretariat for circulation.
PABEW Discipline Sub-Committee Update
38. The Chair provided an update on the work of the Discipline Sub-Committee. He highlighted key elements of the forthcoming Public Office Accountability Bill, including provisions relating to a duty of candour, obligations to provide relevant information during investigations, and a proposed offence of misleading the public, including where actions are taken intentionally or recklessly.
39. It was also noted that a consultation on vetting standards is expected shortly and that updates to Home Office guidance are being developed.
Home Office Legislation Update
40. Secretariat would circulate tracker outside of meeting.
41. Gareth Wilson (CPOSA) raised concerns regarding delays in the publication of the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) report and the absence of the pay review body remit letter, noting the impact this has on preparing submissions. He highlighted that evidence submissions are expected shortly despite the necessary information not yet being available.
42. Andy Tremayne (APCC) expressed concern regarding the delay in publication of the SSRB report, noting the impact on discussions regarding pay and conditions for chief officers and the importance of maintaining established review timelines.
43. The Chair acknowledged these concerns and indicated that the issue would be raised with the Home Office to seek clarification on progress.
Action Point 6: Chair to raise the delay in the SSRB response and remit letter with the Home Office and update members.
AOB / Date of next meeting
44. Mel Warnes (PFEW) raised concerns regarding PAT Chairs, noting that issues had been raised regarding their availability to sit on appeals due to concerns about potential liability and being required to give evidence in tribunals. She noted that this had been discussed with the Home Office, who had taken legal advice on the issue, and indicated that she would seek an update on progress.
45. The Chair said that similar concerns had been raised by PAT Chairs, particularly regarding liability, reputational risk and the implications of appearing as witnesses in tribunal proceedings.
46. It was noted that the next meeting of PABEW will take place on 1 June 2026.
Action point 7: Mel Warnes to seek an update from the Home Office regarding PAT Chair issues and report back to PABEW.