HC Deb 31 July 1980 vol 989 cc1709-10
3. Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of the proposals in the latest annual report of the Police Complaints Board, he will arrange for a different system of investigation in case of serious injury incurred by a person while in police custody.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. William Whitelaw)

The main recommendation in the board's triennial review report is that complaints of serious injury should be investigated by a specialist body of investigating officers answerable to an independent lawyer. As I said in reply to a question by my hon. Friend, the Member for Peters-field (Mr. Mates) on 15 July, Lord Plowden has accepted my invitation to chair a working party to consider in detail how it might be possible to implement the recommendation.

Mr. Hooley

Does the Home Secretary agree that it would be in the interests of the police if a statutory system were created under which the investigation of such incidents was divorced from the police?

Mr. Whitelaw

I believe that, in principle, the board's recommendation is right. The purpose of the working party is to investigate how it should be carried out in detail.

Mr. Aitken

I welcome my right hon. Friend's reply, but does he agree that one of the serious problems that the Police Complaints Board still faces is that it is required to investigate a multitude of vexatious and trivial complaints and that, therefore, it does not always have the necessary time and resources to devote to the investigation procedures of major and serious complaints?

Mr. Whitelaw

That is an important matter which affects the work of the board. I hope that its proposal about serious cases will help it to concentrate on them, rather than on the smaller, and often trivial, complaints.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

Is the Home Secretary aware that I agree that the proposal of the board and the steps that the right hon. Gentleman is taking to consider it are correct? Is he further aware that I hope that, before we get to legislation, the House will have a chance to consider the matter, because, in the way that has been described by the hon. Member for Thanet, East (Mr. Aitken), and in other ways, there is concern about the Act of three years ago? The House passed it and ought to have the chance to look at it.

Mr. Whitelaw

I agree with the right hon. Gentleman.