Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services An inspection of vetting, misconduct, and misogyny in the police service, published on 2 November, which found that some police officers suspected of links to organised crime, or found guilty of sexual crimes, were transferred to other police forces without vetting; whether the Police Federation was involved in the transfer of these officers; if so, on how many occasions; and whether the Federation were aware of the issues that these officers may have faced if a vetting process had been carried out.

The report from the Inspectorate has raised some serious questions for policing about vetting and culture. We expect policing to address its forty recommendations in full, including those relating to transferees.

The Home Office has no involvement in individual vetting decisions – this is an operational matter for forces – and does not collect this data.

The College of Policing, who set and maintain training standards for policing, published the Code of Ethics in 2014 which sets out clear standards of professional behaviour. The College of Policing’s foundation training for all those entering the service includes substantial coverage the Code of Ethics. In addition, we have funded the College to develop a National Police Leadership Centre to create a strong professional framework and standards across policing at all levels.