§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of the number of investigations which will be conducted by the office of the Police Complaints Ombudsman over its first three years of operation. [69606]
§ Mr. IngramA working group which comprises my officials and representatives of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints, Royal Ulster Constabulary, Police Authority of Northern Ireland and police representatives is currently considering a wide range of issues including this one.
In examining the number of cases the working group will take into consideration factors such as current complaint rates, the impact of the preliminary investigation in sifting cases out at an earlier stage, the relaxation of the restriction on resolving complaints by informal resolution and the extent to which the Police Ombudsman should refer cases to the RUC to investigate. The working group will also have to consider to what extent enhanced public confidence in the new system will encourage more complaints. The Ombudsman designate, when appointed, will also be asked for his or her views.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the main stages in an investigation conducted by the Independent Commission for Police Complaints; what is the average time taken to complete each stage; and how many complaints have been processed and completed over each of the last three years. [69604]
§ Mr. IngramThe Independent Commission for Police Complaints does not conduct investigations of complaints; rather, its role is to provide oversight of police investigations, as set out in the Police (Northern Ireland) Order 1987.
478WDuring 1996, the Commission processed and completed two thousand six hundred and ninety nine (2,699) complaint cases. The figures for 1997 and 1998 were two thousand three hundred and thirty five (2,335) and two thousand three hundred and eighty three (2,383) complaint cases respectively.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will provide a breakdown of the forecast of the annual budget of the office of the Police Complaints Ombudsman; and how many staff will be employed at what salary grades for the first three years of its operation. [69605]
§ Mr. IngramThe Government's initial estimate produced for the purpose of advertising the post of Police Ombudsman is a staff of about 60 and a budget of around £3 million. There are a number of variables which affect both the budget and staffing which are still to be settled. These are being considered in working groups which include my officials and representatives of the RUC and the Independent Commission for Police Complaints. In addition, we will be consulting the Police Ombudsman when appointed.
Until this work has been completed I will not be able to produce a budget forecast or more precise details on staffing.
The Government are, however, committed to making the necessary resources available for the office of Police Ombudsman.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the main stages in an investigation conducted by the Complaints and Discipline Department of the Royal Ulster Constabulary; what is the average time taken to complete each stage; and how many complaints were processed and completed in each of the last three years. [69622]
§ Mr. IngramAppendix II of the 1997 Annual Report of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints, copies of which were laid before the House, contains a detailed chart showing the main stages in an investigation (HMSO, ISBN 0–10–250698–1).
The number of complaints cleared in each of the last three years is:
Year Number1 1996 4,835 1997 5,433 1998 25,127 1 Complaints relating to the same incident can be made by a number of complainants, or complainants may make a number of complaints. These are all recorded as separate complaints. 2 The 1998 figure is provisional. Average timescales for stages of investigation of complaints are not kept as the time taken very much depends on individual cases. The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The time is dependent on a number of factors, such as the complexity of the case, the number of witnesses and police involved. Also, if there are related criminal proceedings against the complainant, the investigation cannot be regarded as complete until such charges are disposed of at court and disciplinary aspects then considered and, if appropriate, 479W dealt with. The following table gives such information as is available and indicates the length of time taken for the 5,127 complaints cleared in 1998:
Time Number Percentage 0–3 months 1,662 32 3–6 months 1,048 20 6–12 months 1,278 25 12–24 months 965 19 24–36 months 135 3 over 36 months 39 1 Total 5,127 The issue of timescales is something raised by Dr. Hayes in his report (HMSO ISBN 0–337–03077–4) and is being considered by the working groups dealing with the implementation of the new Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.