§ Keith VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 July 2002,Official Report, column 1248W, how many of the deaths 28W resulted in (a) an internal inquiry, (b) an external inquiry and (c) compensation being paid to the next of kin of the victims. [73248]
§ Mr. DenhamAll deaths in police custody are subject to a full police investigation. Where such a death occurs the police are required to refer the investigation to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) for supervision. It is the responsibility of the PCA supervising member to approve the appointment of the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), either from the force where the death occurred or from another force, and to agree the terms of reference for the SIO covering the parameters of the investigation. The PCA recently published their supervision manual which sets out the Authority's approach to supervision and the standards its supervising members will apply.
Under the Police Reform Bill the PCA will be replaced by a completely new body called the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC will be at the heart of a new police complaints system, the key objective of which will be to increase public confidence and trust in the way in which complaints against the police are dealt with. In order to achieve this the IPCC, which will be wholly independent of the police and which will have its own investigating teams, will be able to choose to investigate complaints itself. There will also be improved access to the complaints system for complainants, and significantly greater disclosure of information to complainants.
Information about the number of deaths that resulted in compensation being paid to the next of kin of the victims is not collected centrally.