§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will use his powers under section 32(1) of the Police Act 1964 to set up a local inquiry in West Yorkshire on the policing of the area in the light of the case of Peter Sutcliffe.
§ Mr. Torneyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will use his powers under section 32(1) of the Police Act 1964 to set up a local inquiry into the policing of the West Yorkshire area in the light of the Sutcliffe case.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe Yorkshire Ripper case was one of the largest scale police investigations ever conducted in this country and I am anxious to ensure that any lessons which might be learnt from it are made known to police forces generally. Accordingly, I have asked Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary for the region, Mr. L. Byford, who has kept me in touch with progress throughout, to review the circumstances of the investigation and to report further to me. In preparing this report, which will be rendered in accordance with section 38(3) of the Police Act 1964, Mr. Byford will have the assistance of the special advisory team of senior officers who were230W appointed to review the investigation in November 1980. I believe that this independent, professional review is the appropriate way of proceeding.