I am pleased to announce that the annual report of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will be published and laid before Parliament today.

This is the third annual report from the IPCC. The report deals with the work completed in 2006-07 and, in particular, how the IPCC has dealt with the challenges which its third year of existence has brought and how it has engaged with diverse communities and stakeholders. The IPCC have now developed a robust formal process with all of the relevant policing agencies to ensure that lessons are learned and disseminated.

The IPCC’s remit now extends beyond the police service. The IPCC has operational responsibility for complaints about the conduct of members of the Serious Organised Crime Agency and of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs who use “police like powers”. Their remit will be further extended to cover similar functions in the Borders and Immigration Agency.