Police, fire and crime panels guidance
Updated 3 February 2026
Applies to England and Wales
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Policing in the UK
There are 43 territorial police forces across England and Wales, a national police force in both Scotland and Northern Ireland, and three specialist police forces (the British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the Ministry of Defence Police).
By and large, policing is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for deciding how most police services are organised and managed in their nations. Policing in the UK offers a brief introduction to UK police forces.
This guidance is primarily designed for the 41 Police, fire and crime panels across England and Wales, who have either a PCC or a combined authority mayor with PCC functions overseeing the police force in their area.
Hereafter, any references to ‘panel’ or ‘panels’ should be read as applying to both police and crime panels, and police, fire and crime panels. Distinctions in the remit or function of the particular type of panel being referred to are included in this guidance document.
Combined authority mayors
Police and crime panels scrutinise combined authority mayors and deputy mayors for policing and crime with respect to their exercise of PCC functions, in the same way they scrutinise PCCs. The combined authority does not have a role in scrutinising the mayor in relation to their PCC functions.
Police, fire and crime panels
Under powers in the Policing and Crime Act 2017 (hereafter ‘the 2017 Act’), PCCs are able to take on responsibility for fire and rescue services in their force area, where there is local agreement, and become the fire and rescue authority. Where PCCs take on these functions, they become known as police, fire and crime commissioners (PFCCs). Similarly, panels in those areas will have a name change to police, fire and crime panels, as set out in the 2017 Act.
A PCC who wants to take on responsibility for their local fire and rescue service is currently required to develop a robust business case which sets out how the change in governance is in the interests of economy, efficiency effectiveness and public safety. The PCC must also consult on the business case locally before submitting it to the Home Secretary for approval.
Panels in Wales
Panels in Wales are not bodies of a local authority as they are in England due to their devolved local government arrangements. While the requirements around membership are the same as for English panels, the process for nominating and appointing members is different.
In Wales, local authorities will propose member nominations to the host authority for the panel, who, on behalf of the relevant local authority, will submit those nominees to the Home Secretary for consideration and agreement. To ensure that membership changes are considered and agreed as quickly as possible, local authorities should direct all communications with the Home Office through the host local authority. Local authorities remain responsible for nominating any members and communicating this to the host local authority for the panel.
This is usually done via an email from the host authority for the panel to the Home Office’s pccpartnersenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk inbox. The host authority should notify the Home Office as soon as they become aware that there is an upcoming vacancy on the panel, which authority the vacancy relates to, confirm the name of the nominated elected or independent panel member to fill that vacancy, confirm that they have accepted the nomination, and indicate what political party and local authority they belong to, where applicable.
If a Welsh local authority fails to make the necessary nomination, or if their nominee does not accept the nomination, the Home Secretary must either:
- ask the authority to make another nomination
- nominate a councillor of a relevant local authority to be a member of the police and crime panel – if the nominated councillor accepts, the Home Secretary must appoint them as a member of the panel but if they decline, another councillor of a relevant local authority must be nominated