Ian Huntley: Employment Vetting Inquiry (Hansard, 18 December 2003)

§ Baroness Scotland of Asthal

Ian Huntley has been found guilty of the horrific murders of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells. Maxine Carr has been found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

No one can imagine the pain which the children's families must have endured. We hope they will find some comfort in the murderer's conviction.

We have concerns, however, about the way in which the police handled intelligence about Huntley's past and about the vetting process when he took employment in a local school. We are determined, speedily, to get to the bottom of this.

We have asked Sir Michael Bichard, Rector of The London Institute and a former Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and Employment, to lead an independent inquiry with the following terms of reference: Urgently to enquire into child protection procedures in Humberside Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary in the light of the recent trial and conviction of Ian Huntley for the murder of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells. In particular, to assess the effectiveness of the relevant intelligence-based record keeping, the vetting practices in those forces since 1995 and information sharing with other agencies. Report to me on matters of local and national relevance and to make recommendations as appropriate".

Sir Michael shares with us the view that what is needed here is an independent inquiry which gets quickly to the issues without putting the families and other parties through the stress which something long and drawn out could entail. He will expect full co-operation from all the parties. If he reports to us that this is unforthcoming we will not hesitate to use powers under Section 49 of the Police Act 1996 which will allow the inquiry to summon and question witnesses.

Additionally, we have asked Sir Keith Povey, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, to look at an inquiry that the Metropolitan Police conducted into the police investigation and then to work with Cambridgeshire Constabulary to implement the recommendations made. We will also want him to 174WA look at any lessons that could be learned by other forces facing a similar investigation.

We will consider what further action may be appropriate when we have all the answers to the questions we have asked.

Also the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, has informed us that North East Lincolnshire Area Child Protection Committee will be commissioning a Serious Case Review under the Government's guidance Working Together to Safegaurd Children.

The aim of such a review would be to:

establish whether there are lessons to be learned from the case about the way in which agencies in North East Lincolnshire worked together to safeguard childen;

identify clearly what those lessons are, how they will be acted upon, and what is expected to change as a result; and as a consequence, to

improve inter-agency working and better safeguard children.

We would hope that the Bichard inquiry and the Serious Case Review would together address the full range of issues around safeguarding and protecting children that have arisen from this case.