Select committee: Home Affairs Committee
Conclusion 16
Fifth Report - Policing priorities
Published 10 Nov 2023
Paragraph 46
Addressed to Home Office
Home Affairs Committee Policing priorities All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Police and Crime Commissioners should drive systemic improvements in local forces, for example by taking steps to assure themselves that misconduct and competence processes are fit for purpose, rather than intervening in individual cases. HMICFRS has noted that Police and Crime Commissioners currently only have to comment on its reports once, within 56 days of publication, when forces have may not yet have made changes as a result of the Inspectorate’s recommendations. As a result, “the obligation has proved insufficient in making sure Police and Crime Commissioners are holding chief constables to account for implementing improvements.” We call for increased responsibility upon Police and Crime Commissioners to update HMICFRS on the impact of its recommendations.
From: Home Affairs Committee, Fifth Report - Policing priorities (HC 635), paragraph 46, 10 November 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 19 January 2024 (deadline 10 January 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response sets out its priorities as to "cut crime, improve trust and confidence in policing and deliver justice and high-quality outcomes for victims", and responds to the Committee's recommendations individually, supporting some, leaving others to the sector and declining some.
- On a further independent review of the Met, the government points to Baroness Casey's timetable of progress reviews after two years and five years, saying "We would support a commitment to that timetable from the Mayor".
- On vetting, it believes the framework "should remain with the College" of Policing rather than being made statutory on transfer, and says it is for PCCs how they hold Chief Constables to account.
- On time limits for misconduct cases, it argues that targets "could potentially create perverse incentives for investigators to rush", and instead points to the August 2023 reforms it considers "likely to improve timeliness and efficiency".
- On the Right Care, Right Person approach, it commits to a joint evaluation with DHSC, with findings feeding into a report "due to be completed in Spring 2024, which we intend to publish".