Recommendations & Conclusions
21 items
1
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Accepted
We received no evidence to dispute the characterisation of violent disorder between 30 July and 7 August 2024. Many events held during this period began as protests and remained as such. But while some instances of disorder may have originated as protests, they quickly degenerated into violence. In some cases …
Government response. The government details the CPS's specific actions to review and update the Media Protocol, including a public consultation launched in January 2025 and an intention to publish the revised guidance in autumn 2025, alongside supporting proposals for law reform on …
Home Office
2
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Acknowledged
Merseyside Police were put in a very difficult position given legal restrictions on communicating the identity of the Southport suspect and the need to withhold certain information in order to protect the trial. The inconsistent advice from the CPS over the publication of information about the suspect’s religion was particularly …
Government response. The government states it is carefully considering recommendations from both the Inspectorate and the Committee, committing to publish a Police Reform White Paper that will outline its intentions to address findings, strengthen public order policing, and enhance the response to …
Home Office
3
Recommendation
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Deferred
Notwithstanding potential changes to contempt of court laws, we recommend that the CPS publish its new media protocol as soon as possible and keep this updated at least every five years or earlier if there is a significant change 33 to the media landscape. It should also work with partner …
Government response. The government response discusses the Home Office's ongoing use of open-source material and plans to strengthen this capability, noting that specific proposals and financial investment are still under consideration and decisions have not yet been taken. It does not address …
Home Office
4
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Accepted
The levels of violence seen across the country last summer were the worst since 2011. Police officers worked tirelessly to respond to the disorder and it was only through their efforts that more serious injury and property damage was prevented. Nevertheless, in several cases it appears that police forces were …
Government response. The government states that the police have reviewed the national mobilisation plan, which now specifically describes a national public order gold role with explicit authority for national mobilisation numbers and strategy, and this plan has been agreed and circulated amongst …
Home Office
5
Recommendation
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Deferred
We recommend that the Government publishes a formal response, after the second tranche of the HMICFRS review is published, setting out how it will support police forces to implement the findings of the review, including any additional funding if required, and over what timeframe. (Recommendation, Paragraph 25)
Government response. The government outlines its ambition to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) with a new strategy to be published later this year, and has announced £13.1 million for a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection. It also …
Home Office
6
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Deferred
Individual police forces did their best to monitor social media ahead of and during the disorder as a source of intelligence. It is important that forces retain local capacity to monitor social media on a business-as-usual basis. However, it is clear that the volume of social media activity, including some …
Government response. The government response outlines plans for workforce reforms and officer retention as part of the forthcoming Police Reform White Paper, citing low resignation rates and initiatives like the NPCC National Leavers Framework. It does not address the recommendation for enhanced …
Home Office
7
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Deferred
The new national system for policing should include enhanced capacity to monitor and respond to social media at the national level, while also supporting forces to develop the necessary capacity. (Recommendation, Paragraph 31)
Government response. The government states that the Home Secretary has provided £28.3 million in funding to police forces to cover the additional costs of policing past disorder, paid in full in May 2025. This response does not address the recommendation for enhanced …
Home Office
8
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Deferred
While we heard of several instances of mutual aid being quickly and effectively provided, there were also some problems in its provision, and inconsistencies in the way mutual aid requests were handled. (Conclusion, Paragraph 35) 34
Government response. The government details funding for the neighbourhood policing programme, committing £376.8 million to maintain officer numbers in 2025-26 and increase the neighbourhood policing workforce, with future decisions to be set out in the upcoming Spending Review. This response does not …
Home Office
9
Recommendation
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Acknowledged
As part of a formal response to the HMICFRS reports the Government should set out in particular how it is supporting forces to improve the provision of mutual aid, including how changes to the national policing system will support mutual aid. (Recommendation, Paragraph 35) National policing response
Government response. The government states that a forthcoming Home Office White Paper on police reform will cover various issues including how the policing system can work better. However, it does not specifically commit to setting out how it will support forces to …
Home Office
10
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Deferred
We agree that despite the best efforts of policing leaders, shortcomings in national policing structures inhibited the response to the disorder and national mobilisation came too late. The disorder highlighted deficiencies that also affect business-as-usual policing, such as a lack of reliable national data. We welcome the Government’s commitment to …
Government response. The government acknowledges limitations in policing systems and states that an upcoming Home Office White Paper on police reform will cover issues including technology, the future workforce, and system improvements, thereby deferring specific actions.
Home Office
11
Recommendation
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Accepted
Given the importance of the Government’s ambitions on crime and policing, including halving knife crime and halving Violence Against Women and Girls, and the significant challenges facing the policing system, we encourage the Government to be ambitious in setting out its proposals for reform and not just focus on easy, …
Government response. The government states it has an unprecedented objective to halve VAWG in a decade, underpinned by a new Strategy and a White Paper on policing reform, demonstrating an ambitious, long-term approach. It also highlights £13.1 million funding for a National …
Home Office
12
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Accepted
Police officers worked for long hours in extremely difficult circumstances during disorder incidents, many of them suffering injury and other trauma. Those that were re-deployed but did not face significant disorder will still have experienced fatigue and an increased workload. Police forces did their best to ameliorate the impact on …
Government response. The Home Secretary has provided police forces in England and Wales with £28.3 million of funding to cover all of the additional costs of policing the disorder.
Home Office
13
Recommendation
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Deferred
The Government should outline a comprehensive strategy forpolice officer retention alongside its recruitment efforts. (Recommendation, Paragraph 47)
Government response. The government states that workforce reforms, including activities to support police officer retention, will be developed as part of the forthcoming Police Reform White Paper. It also highlights existing College of Policing guidance and the NPCC National Leavers Framework.
Home Office
14
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Accepted
The costs incurred by police forces during the course of the disorder look modest in the context of overall policing budgets, but these unexpected costs have nonetheless had a significant impact and are being disproportionately borne by certain forces. We welcome the Government’s earlier commitment to reimbursing forces through special …
Government response. The government confirms that £28.3 million in funding to cover the additional costs of policing the disorder was paid in full to police forces in May 2025, addressing the committee's concerns about delays.
Home Office
15
Recommendation
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Accepted
If it has not done so already the Government should release funding to cover costs incurred during the disorder as soon as possible. (Recommendation, Paragraph 51)
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, confirming that the Home Secretary agreed to provide £28.3 million to cover additional policing costs during the disorder, which was paid in full in May 2025.
Home Office
16
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Acknowledged
We commend the efforts of police forces to maintain business-as- usual policing, particularly the importance attached to maintaining neighbourhood policing. Nonetheless, the disorder and subsequent investigations have had a knock-on impact on other areas of policing, including neighbourhood policing. The Government’s focus on strengthening neighbourhood policing is welcome, as is …
Government response. The government outlines its neighbourhood policing programme for 2025/26, committing £376.8 million to maintain officer numbers and stating that workforce mix decisions are local but forces are expected to deliver suitably. It does not explicitly address the concern about ensuring …
Home Office
17
Recommendation
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Accepted in Part
The Government should benchmark recruitment plans under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to ensure that, while flexibility for forces to recruit is maintained, minimum numbers for the recruitment of police officers can be set by the Home Office if required, or more flexibility in funding provided if forces cannot meet their …
Government response. The government provides £376.8 million, with £270.1 million ringfenced, for forces to maintain officer numbers in 2025-26, and expects an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce. It does not commit to Home Office-set minimum recruitment numbers, maintaining local flexibility.
Home Office
18
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Deferred
The Government’s approach to working with police forces during the disorder was clearly seen as appropriate by the police leaders involved, who welcomed the level of support and challenge they received. The assurances that the Government provided helped to ensure that the police were able to mobilise effectively nationally. However, …
Government response. The government acknowledges the limitations of current policing systems and states that the Home Office’s upcoming White Paper on police reform will cover issues relevant to creating a more effective and resilient national policing system, deferring specific actions.
Home Office
19
Recommendation
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Deferred
The Government should ensure that its policing reforms empower the national policing system to respond effectively to emergency situations, without requiring significant Government intervention. (Recommendation, Paragraph 63) 36
Government response. The government acknowledges the limitations of current systems and states that an upcoming Home Office White Paper on police reform will cover issues relevant to enabling an effective national policing system, deferring specific actions to this future document.
Home Office
20
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
Accepted
The joint working, supported by the Government, between the police and the criminal justice system was essential in bringing about swift justice to the perpetrators of the disorder. This helped to prevent further disorder. However, we agree with the Policing Minister that it is not right for other serious crimes …
Government response. The government outlines its actions to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), its policing reform and Joint Police Reform Team and states that effective policing requires collaboration, shared priorities, and targeted support.
Home Office
21
Conclusion
2nd Report – Police response to the 202…
The right to protest is fundamental in our democracy and we would take seriously any evidence that peaceful protest was being suppressed based on the political views expressed. However, we have seen no evidence that this was the case during the summer. Far from being evidence of ‘two-tier policing’, the …
Home Office