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Home Office

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on (a) audio and (b) visual recording of police interviews. [136262] Ms Blears: The information requested is as follows: (a) Section 60 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 provides for the mandatory (audio) tape recording of interviews of persons suspected of the commission of criminal offences. Code E of the Codes of Practice issued under the above mentioned Act dictates the procedures through which the police should carry out this task. It became mandatory to tape record interviews in police stations in England and Wales using the procedures outlined in Code E on 1 January 1992. The Terrorism Act 2000 makes separate provision for a Code of Practice for the tape recording of interviews of those arrested under Section 41 or detained under Schedule 7 of the Act. (b) A pilot has been undertaken in five police forces (Metropolitan, Essex, Hampshire, Kent and West Mercia) to test all aspects of visually recording suspects' interviews. The pilot started in May 2002, except in Essex who started in October 2002, and they all finished on 31 October 2003. A team of Evaluators, from London School of Economics (LSE) and the University of Kent, are preparing a report on the project but this will not be with the Home Office till the end of December. However, from 1 November 2003 visual recording may be undertaken on a discretionary basis and it is a matter for each force (including those not involved in the pilot) to decide which types of cases should be recorded in this way. Police officers have been told that regard should still be paid to Code F (Visual Recording of Suspect Interviews) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, when such interviews are undertaken. Guidance on conducting interviews with vulnerable or intimidated witnesses (VIWs) is set out in `Achieving Best Evidence: Guidance for Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses, including Children'. This guidance is intended to assist those conducting video recorded interviews with VIWs as well as giving guidance to those who are tasked with preparing and supporting such witnesses throughout the criminal justice process. The document can be found at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ justice/legalprocess/witnesses/index .

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

136262; 413 c112W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Codes of practice Audio recordings Interviews Police Police interrogation Regulation Video recordings

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk