Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she had made of the potential merits of establishing a national police academy to support the training of police officers.

The College of Policing was established in 2012 as the professional body for everyone working in policing in England and Wales. Its purpose is to provide police officers and staff with the skills and knowledge necessary to prevent crime, protect the public and secure public trust.

The College has three complementary functions: building a knowledge base, setting standards and education. The consistency of this national approach will contribute to the professionalism of the police service and put policing in line with other professions with regard to its formal education standards.