§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 20 May 1999,Official Report, column 434, what guidance has been issued to the police on pre-inquest disclosure to relatives of the deceased. [86139]
§ Mr. StrawOn 28 April 1999, a Home Office circular was issued to Chief Officers of Police advising them, where there has been a death in police custody, to make arrangements for the pre-inquest disclosure of documentary evidence to interested persons.
The guidance advises Chief Officers that there should be as great a degree of openness as possible, and that disclosure of documentary material to interested persons before the inquest hearing should be normal practice in cases of death in police custody and death arising from fatal road crashes involving the police. The guidance also states that in all cases, Chief Officers will want to consider whether there are compelling reasons why certain documents, or parts of documents, may not be disclosed. But there should always be a presumption in favour of openness. A copy of the circular has been placed in the Library.