§ Mr. HargreavesTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will lay before parliament the 1995 annual report of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [28060]
§ Sir Patrick MayhewI have today arranged for the 1995 annual report of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints to be laid before Parliament.
The report, which follows the format of last year's, comments on the work of the commission in 1995 including the supervision of the investigation of complaints against the police and the commission's role in disciplinary procedures arising from those complaints. It also contains details from a public attitudes survey conducted for the commission on the extent of public awareness of its work and confidence in its procedures.
For the first time, the report covers a year under conditions of declared terrorist ceasefires. This has led to some interesting changes in the number of complaints in certain categories and also to the way in which complaints arise. We will have to see whether or not the Provisional IRA's actions on 9 February alter these new trends.
The number of complaints fell overall by 12 per cent. from the 1994 level; a greater reduction in the number of complaints in the early part of 1995 was offset by a significant rise in August and September. The commission supervised its highest-ever proportion of complaints— 558W 15.7 per cent. The percentage of cases informally resolved continued to rise, with 18.3 per cent. in 1995 compared to 15.7 per cent., 10 per cent. and 7.6 per cent. in the previous three years.
The report shows that the commission and its staff had another busy year. I would like to record by my thanks to them for their continued dedication and commitment.