Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 34
34
Deferred
Paragraph: 78
Review HMICFRS powers to give directions and establish formal 'buddying' arrangements for forces.
Recommendation
We support HMICFRS’s call for the Home Secretary to review the limitations of its remit and powers and establish whether legislative change is needed. We believe the Chief Inspector of Constabulary should have powers to give directions where a force’s identified failings pose a significant risk to public safety. This should include—in certain circumstances—power to direct the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s and the College of Policing’s support for the force. We recommend formal arrangements for high-performing forces to “buddy” struggling ones are put in place within 12 months.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government deflects the recommendation to review HMICFRS's remit and powers and establish 'buddying' arrangements by providing an identical response to the previous one, detailing an evaluation of the Right Care Right Person (RCRP) program.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
78
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
45. This recommendation aligns with the recommendations made in HMCI Cooke’s State of Policing Report, published on 6 June. 46. There is currently no legislative vehicle through which to legislate for increased powers for HMICFRS, and any changes to legislation would need extensive consultation due to divergent views within the sector. Therefore, the previous Home Secretary asked policing leaders to come together and agree a way forward to address the issues raised in HMCI Cooke’s report. Policing Leaders met in September to discuss the recommendations, and there was no agreement that HMICFRS needed expanded powers to direct the NPCC, College or police forces. 47. Given the varied reasons a force may enter ‘Engage’, the support required to improve is not necessarily one size fits all. The College of Policing’s Home Office-funded Evidence- based Performance Improvement Programme gathers good practice from well performing forces and ensures this is shared. 48. We are still considering HMCI Cooke’s recommendations and will respond in due course.
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