HC Deb 27 November 2000 vol 357 c447W
Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to act on the recommendation 58 of the report by his honour Judge Macpherson into the death of Stephen Lawrence. [140101]

Mr. Straw

In March 1999, I published my Action Plan which set out how the Government proposed to take forward the recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.

Recommendation 58 of the report is about steps which can be taken to ensure that serious complaints against police officers are independently investigated.

Following recommendations for change by the Home Affairs Committee in 1998, we commissioned a feasibility study by KPMG on the establishment of a more independent complaints system. At the same time but separately, Liberty undertook a study into an Independent Police Complaints Commission. The results of both studies were published for consultation in May 2000. We have now considered the responses to consultation and will announce our conclusions shortly.