§ Mr. FormanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish reports by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary on its inspections of police forces.
§ Mr. WaddingtonYes. I shall from today publish the reports by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary on police forces inspected annually under the Police Act 1964, that is the 42 provincial forces including the City of London police; and also those which the inspectorate makes on the Metropolitan police at the invitation of the Commissioner. The first three reports, published today, are of the 1989 inspections of police forces in Norfolk, South Wales and Staffordshire. Copies of these reports, and of a booklet about Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary, have been placed in the Library.
I have decided to publish these reports so as to increase public awareness of the significance of the inspectorate's role and functions; to draw police achievements and good practice to wider attention; to identify more publicly the scope for improvements and help accelerate the process of improving value for money in the police service; and to respond to public and parliamentary interest in the police.