§ Mr. Edward Lyonsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he proposes to deal with correspondence concerning complaints against the police which will be considered by the Police Complaints Board.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesAll complaints against members of police forces in England and Wales relating to incidents on or after 1st June will—with a few exceptions—be referred after investigation by the police to the Police Complaints Board which, in accordance with the provision of the Police Act 1976, will provide an independent element in the procedure additional to that already provided by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The new arrangements are described in the leaflet "Police and Public", copies of which will be available at police stations and citizens' advice bureaux. Copies have also been placed in the Library of the House.
The Board is an independent body. The Police Bill was amended during its passage through Parliament to remove any suggestion that the Board's decisions on individual cases could be the subject of intervention by Ministers. It would not be appropriate for me to intervene, or to appear to be intervening, in matters that under the legislation are properly the responsibility of the police or of the Complaints Board. Nor would it be right for me to be drawn into commenting on the decisions taken by the Complaints Board in relation to individual complaints referred to it.
In future, therefore, when a letter which contains or encloses a complaint 641W against a member of a police force is received in the Home Office a reply will normally be sent inviting the sender to approach the chief officer responsible for the investigation of the complaint, and enclosing a copy of the leaflet which explains the new procedures and the role of the Complaints Board. I will, of course, take appropriate action if a letter sent to me appears to justify a departure from the normal practice described above, or to call for further action on my part. I will continue to give careful consideration to all cases where the matter about which complaint is made might call into question the Tightness of a conviction or sentence, and thus involve consideration of a recommendation concerning the use of the Royal Prerogative.
Under Section 8 of the Police Act the Board will be able to draw my attention to any grave matter which comes to its notice in the course of their duties, and I expect it to review the general course of its work in the annual report which I am required to submit to Parliament.