Police Professional Standards 2025-09-16

Opened the debate

I welcome the Minister to her place. I requested this debate following some shocking constituency cases that I have dealt with since my election to this place last summer. It is important that I make it clear from the outset that this is not a criticism of the hard-working police officers who do a fantastic job with limited resources. However, systemic issues in the professional standards department at Devon and Cornwall police have shattered my constituents’ trust in the police. Lisa Rufus had completely lost faith in the police and felt she would never see justice for her son Kye, who was involved in a motorcycle accident resulting in life-changing injuries. The investigating officer failed to follow proper procedures, leading to significant delays and poor handling of the case. I wrote to the professional standards department highlighting my concerns and received a response almost one year later. Another constituent reported being raped by their partner and faced similar issues with updates on their case. A teenage girl who was sexually assaulted also experienced long delays in receiving updates from the police. These cases highlight the need for robust complaints procedures that are fair, timely, and independent.

Government Response

I thank Ben Maguire for bringing this debate forward on an issue that we take extremely seriously in government. We acknowledge the systemic issues within the professional standards department at Devon and Cornwall police, as well as other forces where similar concerns have been raised. To address these issues, we are implementing a series of measures aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and timeliness in handling complaints. These include introducing statutory time limits for responses to ensure that complainants receive regular updates within 28 days, as recommended by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). We are also considering proposals for external reviews of serious complaints involving multiple forces to enhance independence and public confidence. In terms of backlog reduction, we have recruited additional staff and are working closely with individual police forces to ensure that frontline officers are not overburdened while addressing these issues. The current backlog is under continuous review, and we aim to bring it back to an acceptable level through increased resources and more efficient processes. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and respond promptly to any emerging concerns raised by Members of Parliament. The Minister acknowledged the importance of professional standards in policing and noted a decline in trust levels. She highlighted actions taken to strengthen misconduct, vetting and performance systems through legislative changes and new regulations enabling chief constables to dismiss officers failing vetting tests. The minister announced plans for statutory footing on vetting standards via regulations expected this year and measures within the Crime and Policing Bill to improve misconduct handling. Regarding complaints, she mentioned options like applying for a review with the police and crime commissioner or IOPC, and noted White Paper considerations on cross-forces policing reviews. She emphasised the role of MPs in raising cases and praised progress made by Devon and Cornwall force under Chief Constable James Vaughan. The minister also addressed Sussex's local government reorganisation, stating that functions of PCCs will roll into mayoral authorities with varying responsibilities depending on regions. Concluding, she assured to look further into specific issues raised, emphasising resource challenges rather than personnel quality.