Independent Police Complaints Commission

Mr. Amess
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will bring forward proposals to require the Independent Police Complaints Commission to inform his Department of the number of recommendations made by the Commission which have been (a) rejected and (b) implemented by the police force to which they are addressed; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how long on average police authorities have taken to make a response to recommendations of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in each of the last three years; what recent discussions he has had with (a) the IPCC and (b) police authorities on this issue; and if he will make a statement;

(3) if he will bring forward proposals to require individual police forces to (a) accept, (b) respond to and (c) implement in full recommendations made by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC); and what (i) representations he has received from and (ii) discussions he has had with (A) police forces, (B) the IPCC and (C) members of the public on this issue in the last 12 months;

(4) if he will bring forward proposals to monitor the responses of police forces to the findings of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which affect them; what recent discussions he has had with the IPCC on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanson
One of the functions of the police complaints system is to ensure that lessons are learned so that the service the public receives can be improved. The recommendations made by the IPCC are an important element in that improvement process.

The Public Accounts Committee’s Fifteenth Report on the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), published in March 2009, recommended that the Home Office clarify who is responsible for monitoring the implementation of IPCC recommendations made to police forces following an IPCC investigation.

The Home Office is considering with the IPCC, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers the implementation of a suitable system for monitoring the implementation of IPCC recommendations, both at national and local level. We aim to have arrangements in place by spring 2010.

The specific information sought by the hon. Member is not collected by the Home Office.