Inquiries Bichard Inquiry Reported

Bichard Inquiry

The Bichard Inquiry examined the circumstances surrounding the Soham murders of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells in 2002, focusing on the effectiveness of intelligence-based record keeping by Humberside Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary, and vetting practices for those working with children.

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The Bichard Inquiry examined the circumstances surrounding the Soham murders of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells in 2002, focusing on the effectiveness of intelligence-based record keeping by Humberside Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary, and vetting practices for those working with children. The Inquiry made 31 recommendations, leading to major reforms including the creation of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

Where it stands

The Bichard Inquiry Report was published on 22 June 2004. The most recent government response on the record is Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Progress Report, dated 22 December 2004.

ChairSir Michael BichardCivil servant
Commissioned byHome Office
Established13 Jan 2004
Final report22 Jun 2004
Duration5 months
Total reported cost£3.7m
Inquiry website
Announced 16 Dec 2003
Final report 22 Jun 2004
Recommendations 31 tracked

Reports & recommendations

All 31 recommendations →
31 recommendations

Government response

Accepted 31
Latest statement by addressee
Home Office says completed: 20
Home Office says in progress: 9; another body’s finding on record for 3
Department for Education says not accepted: 1
Home Office says partially delivered: 1

"No statement found" means none was found in the sources searched, last checked 30 January 2026. Each figure is the latest statement from the body the recommendation is addressed to. Other bodies’ findings are shown on each recommendation and do not change these figures.

Data last updated: 1 Feb 2011 · Source
Checked against sources: 30 Jan 2026
About the blanket government response

The Government accepted all 31 recommendations collectively: the Home Secretary's written statement of 11 January 2005 records that "All 31 recommendations were accepted by the Government when the Inquiry reported in June 2004". No document states an acceptance decision for any single recommendation. The response shown against each recommendation is the Home Office's answer to it in the first progress report, sent to Sir Michael Bichard on 22 December 2004 and placed in the Library of the House on 11 January 2005. The Government then reported against the recommendations three more times, in November 2005, May 2006 and May 2007; the updates shown are taken from those reports.

How to read this

Government Response tracks what the government said it would do (accepted, rejected, etc.).

Full methodology

Latest evidence

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Other · 1
Statement on the publication of evidence
Other

Evidence & Impact

The Bichard Inquiry was established following the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham in 2002. The inquiry examined child protection procedures, police intelligence systems, and vetting practices. Sir Michael Bichard made 31 recommendations focusing on police information management, vetting procedures, and safeguarding practices.

The government accepted all 31 recommendations on the day of publication in June 2004. The Home Secretary stated the government would "act on them immediately." By February 2007, progress updates indicated that 21 of the 31 recommendations had been addressed.

Key legislative changes followed. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 established the Independent Safeguarding Authority, later merged with the Criminal Records Bureau to form the Disclosure and Barring Service through the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. However, the universal registration scheme envisioned in recommendation 19 was explicitly scaled back as disproportionate.

The Police National Database launched in 2011, achieving the cross-force intelligence sharing Bichard recommended. The Management of Police Information Code of Practice was published in 2005 with accompanying guidance. HMICFRS inspections now monitor compliance with information management standards.

Safeguarding practices in schools saw substantial changes. Safer recruitment training became embedded in statutory guidance, with requirements for trained panel members on interview panels. Ofsted incorporated recruitment practice reviews into inspection frameworks.

The evidence shows continuing evolution of systems established following Bichard. The PND requires replacement due to obsolete technology, with a £639 million transformation programme approved in 2024. The DBS completed its 2020-2025 strategy introducing digital identity verification.

While most recommendations generated documented changes to legislation, guidance or systems, limited evidence exists regarding the review of police IT procurement practices recommended to ensure national solutions for national problems.
Reforms Attributed to This Inquiry
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 established the Independent Safeguarding Authority (later merged into the Disclosure and Barring Service through the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012)
- Police National Database (PND) launched in 2011, enabling cross-force intelligence sharing
- Management of Police Information (MOPI) Code of Practice published in 2005 with accompanying ACPO Guidance in 2006
- Enhanced Disclosure regime extended to all posts involving work with children and vulnerable adults
- Safer recruitment training for headteachers and school governors embedded in statutory guidance (Keeping Children Safe in Education)
- Requirement for trained panel members on school interview panels incorporated into statutory guidance
- Working Together to Safeguard Children revised to require police notification when criminal offences against children are committed or suspected
- Integrated Children's System implemented across England, including recording of non-referral decisions
- Digital identity verification for DBS checks introduced using UK passports
- Transfer of court results inputting to PNC completed through HMCTS reforms
Reforms Reversed or Weakened
- Universal registration scheme for all working with children or vulnerable adults (R19) scaled back by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 as disproportionate, retaining only enhanced checking system
Unfinished Business
- No specific evidence of formal review of police IT procurement to ensure national solutions for national problems (R3)
Summary written by the tracker with AI assistance, 26 March 2026. Not part of the inquiry record; indicative, not authoritative.

Key Legislation

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 PRIMARY
Established the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) to vet individuals working with children and vulnerable adults.
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (DBS)
Merged the ISA with the Criminal Records Bureau to form the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Implementation Reviewed By

HMIC (Bichard Inquiry Recommendations Progress Report) (Jun 2008)
Final progress report on implementation of all 31 recommendations. Concluded that substantial progress had been made, particularly on the new vetting and barring scheme and police intelligence-sharing systems, though full implementation of the Police National Database was still pending.

Influence & Connections

Influenced by Laming Inquiry
The Every Child Matters framework introduced after the Laming Inquiry was the policy context within which the Bichard Inquiry's recommendations on child safeguarding were developed.
Influenced by Waterhouse Inquiry
The Waterhouse Inquiry's findings on failures in vetting and the protection of children in institutional care informed the Bichard Inquiry's recommendations on the vetting and barring scheme.