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Inspection of the RAF Police by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary

I wish to inform the House that I am laying today, the first report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) Inspection of the Royal Air Force Police (RAFP).

The Armed Forces Act 2011 places a duty on HMIC to inspect and report to the Ministry of Defence on the independence and effectiveness of investigations carried out by each Service police force, and this is HMIC’s first statutory inspection report on the RAF Police.

I consider this report to be a positive endorsement of the RAFP providing assurance from an independent civilian authority that the RAFP is well led overall. Six recommendations have been made and five areas for improvement have been identified. The Royal Air Force accepts the report’s findings and work is already under way to address the recommendations and areas for improvement.