Improve police training record systems
Manchester Arena Inquiry · Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response · Issued 3 November 2022 · Addressed to: College of Policing, Police Services
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
The College of Policing should consider whether the current process for maintaining and storing training records for all police officers can be improved. That should include assessing the following: a. the introduction of electronic training records in a standard form across all police services; b. the introduction of centrally held electronic training records for all police officers; and c. the introduction of a system whereby each police officer is required to view their record each year and identify any errors or omissions within it.
Manchester Arena Inquiry, Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response · 3 Nov 2022 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- Work remains in progress to create a unique reference number for each officer, centrally held by the College of Policing (Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, Cabinet Office, February 2026).
- Early-stage ICT feasibility scoping has been completed, confirming that delivery requires a considerable transformation approach with longer-term timescales (Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, Cabinet Office, February 2026).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
The Home Secretary made a written statement to Parliament on 3 November 2022 following publication of Volume 2, acknowledging the findings on emergency response failures and stating the government would work with emergency services to implement improvements. The response committed to reviewing interoperability arrangements between emergency services and strengthening joint training and exercising protocols for major incidents.
UK Government · 3 Nov 2022 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 27 Feb 2026 Work remains in progress to create a unique reference number for each officer to assist in recording and capturing their training. This number would be centrally held by the College of Policing and stay with that officer even if they move to different forces. Early-stage ICT feasibility scoping has been completed, confirming that the above ambition requires a considerable transformation approach and therefore delivery in achieving this will be within longer-term timescales. Source →
- 14 Nov 2025 Work remains in progress to create a unique reference number for each officer to assist in recording and capturing their training. This number would be centrally held by the College of Policing and stay with that officer even if they move to different forces. Early-stage ICT feasibility scoping has been completed, confirming that the above ambition requires a considerable transformation approach and therefore delivery in achieving this will be within longer-term timescales. Source →
- 14 Nov 2025 · Cabinet Office Government published formal Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations dashboard on GOV.UK (14 November 2025) tracking all 149 recommendations with implementation progress updates. View source → Reasonable Progress
- 3 Apr 2025 · UK Parliament Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent 3 April 2025. Creates two tiers: Standard Duty (200-799 capacity) and Enhanced Duty (800+). SIA will be regulator. Not yet in force -- at least 24 months before enforcement (expected April 2027). View source → Reasonable Progress
- 5 Jun 2023 · National Police Chiefs Council NPCC, Counter Terrorism Policing and College of Policing provided comprehensive updates to Sir John Saunders demonstrating "continued drive to improve collective response to terrorist incidents." View source → Reasonable Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.