Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will work with (a) HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, (b) the College of Policing, (c) the National Police Chiefs Council and (d) the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to draw up a national action plan to increase recruitment and training of police detectives.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary’s (HMIC’s) recommendations are primarily for police leaders to take action and ensure progress is made. In its Effectiveness report, published on 2 March 2017, HMIC called on the National Police Chiefs’ Council, working with the College of Policing, to review by June what is being done to tackle concerns over the number of police detectives. HMIC recommended that these bodies should put in place a national action plan by December 2017.

We continue to work with national policing leads to encourage better analysis of this issue and the development of sustainable solutions.