Metropolitan Police Report by Sir Richard Henriques

Lord Lexden Excerpts

Monday 30th September 2019 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Lexden]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Metropolitan Police to publish the full report by Sir Richard Henriques of the Independent Review of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Handling of Non-Recent Sexual Offence Investigations Alleged Against Persons of Public Prominence.

[Lord Lexden (Con)]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask a Question of which I have given private notice.

[Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist (Con)]

My Lords, the Home Secretary wrote to the Metropolitan Police Service on 14 August welcoming its commitment to publish as full a version as possible of Sir Richard’s report, and encouraging it to do so at the earliest opportunity.

[Lord Lexden]

Is there not an overwhelming national interest in ensuring that the report is published in full, so that all the lessons that arise from it can be learned? Is not full publication also essential to ensure, among other things, that complete justice is at last done to the late Lord Brittan, a great servant of our state; and that those whose misconduct added to his distress and that of his courageous wife in his last days are exposed and dealt with?

[Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist]

I recognise the strength of feeling from noble Lords on this subject, but the Metropolitan Police Service has already committed to publishing the report. The Home Secretary has made it a personal priority to ensure that lessons are learned from the failings of this investigation, and she met the deputy commissioner a fortnight ago. Investigations of individual officers are a matter for the IOPC, which will also publish its report shortly.