Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to support local police forces to help them to deal with complaints backlogs.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government implemented a series of legislative reforms in 2020 to the police complaints and disciplinary systems. These changes were designed to achieve a simpler, more proportionate, and customer-focused complaints system focused on learning and improvement.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) collects and publishes information from all police forces in England and Wales about the type of complaints they are receiving and how long they take to deal with them. The most recent police complaints statistics report can be found here:
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/research-and-statistics/police-complaints-statistics
From the most recent publication (2022/23) the IOPC note that “more complaints are being sorted quickly, as the new system intended, with fewer complaints resulting in lengthy investigations. This is to be welcomed. In many cases these are being replaced with responses that are more proportionate with appropriate explanations and apologies.”
The IOPC, Home Office and wider policing sector are continuing to work with forces to seek to improve their handling of police complaints. The Home Office will also continue to collect, review and publish data annually on police complaints, conduct matters and recordable conduct matters.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the average time taken to investigate complaints by professional standards teams in police forces.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) collects and publishes information from all police forces in England and Wales about the type of complaints they are receiving and how long they take to deal with them. The most recent police complaints statistics report can be found here:
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/research-and-statistics/police-complaints-statistics
The first stage of complaint handling is for the relevant police force or appropriate body, such as a Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, to consider how best to handle the complaint. Certain types of complaints can be resolved informally where it is appropriate to do so and the issue can be resolved quickly to the complainant’s satisfaction.
The IOPC data shows, in 2022/23 police forces finalised 55,524 allegations in complaint cases that were handled informally. On average, these allegations took 16 working days to finalise.
All complaints should be handled in a reasonable and proportionate manner by police forces. For formal complaints, this may mean responding to concerns raised and seeking to resolve them (in some cases via an investigation) and keeping the complainant properly informed throughout the process, and explaining the outcome, including closing the complaint.
The IOPC data shows, in 2022/23 police forces finalised a total of 71,805 allegations in complaint cases handled formally of which 17,098 were investigated accounting for 24%. Of those allegations finalised by local investigation, it took an average of 159 working days.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data his Department holds on the number of (a) members of staff and (b) officers in Lancashire Constabulary for whom (i) the correct level of vetting has not been applied and (ii) vetting clearance has expired.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number, status or levels of vetting for individuals working in policing. Vetting and recruitment matters are handled independently, and on a case-by-case basis, by each force. Decisions on vetting should be made in accordance with the statutory Vetting Code of Practice and vetting authorised professional practice (APP), issued by the College of Policing.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carries out regular inspections on the effectiveness of forces’ vetting arrangements. Details of these inspections are available on its website: https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/
The vetting APP outlines the criteria that forces should consider when determining the level of vetting clearance which is to be applied to a post rather than a particular rank. This includes whether the post requires access to particularly sensitive information and/or assets.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether management vetting is required for all officers who hold the rank of sergeant in the police force.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number, status or levels of vetting for individuals working in policing. Vetting and recruitment matters are handled independently, and on a case-by-case basis, by each force. Decisions on vetting should be made in accordance with the statutory Vetting Code of Practice and vetting authorised professional practice (APP), issued by the College of Policing.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carries out regular inspections on the effectiveness of forces’ vetting arrangements. Details of these inspections are available on its website: https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/
The vetting APP outlines the criteria that forces should consider when determining the level of vetting clearance which is to be applied to a post rather than a particular rank. This includes whether the post requires access to particularly sensitive information and/or assets.