Written question asked by David Amess (Conservative) on Tuesday, 5 May 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 7 May 2009. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Friday, 15 May 2009 on behalf of the Home Office.

Police: Complaints

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what research her Department (a) has undertaken, (b) plans to undertake and (c) has evaluated on the number of complaints that have been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in each police force in England since the IPCC was established;

Answer: The Home Office has not carried out any research into the number of complaints nationally, by force area, or more locally made against police officers, and has no plans to do so. Responsibility for the guardianship of the police complaints system is the statutory responsibility of the IPCC.As part of that role, the IPCC analyses and publishes statistics detailing the number and type of complaints made by members of the public and also their outcomes. These reports can be accessed via the IPCC website on www.ipcc.gov.uk. In addition, the IPCC regularly collates and disseminates best practice through its "Learning the Lessons" bulletins, which are also published on its website.In its 15th report—Independent Police Complaints Commission—published on 31 March 2009, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended that the Home Office should clarify who is responsible for monitoring the implementation of IPCC recommendations. Discussions are already underway between the IPCC, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and police authorities on introducing an appropriate system.

Secondary information