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Policing and Crime Bill

My Lords, I welcome the support of the Conservative Front Bench for this amendment. Despite the Minister’s reply, there is an issue here because the public clearly feel that the Independent Police Complaints Commission is the body to which they make complaints. Of the 276 complaints made after the G20 protest, 78 involved tactics—that is, virtually a quarter. All those people, or a quarter of the public who complained, were told, "Well, sorry, but the IPCC can’t deal with it". It will undermine public confidence in that body if that reply comes back to so many of them. I hear what the Minister says about it being the job of the HIMC. Nevertheless, the IPCC was set up—admirably—and now has public confidence. The public are complaining to them, and it would be a pity if that was undermined in the way that I suggest. It would be worth coming back to explore this issue further, probably not on Report for this Bill. However, because the Police Reform Act 2002 defined what the IPCC could do very narrowly, it is time to review that. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 159D withdrawn. Amendment 159E not moved. Clause 109 agreed.