Recommendation R10: Information management standards
From The Bichard Inquiry Report, published 22 June 2004.
Recommendation
The Code of Practice must set out the standards to be met in terms of systems (including IT), accountability, training, resources and audit. These standards should be capable of being monitored both within police forces and by HMIC and should fit within the PPAF.
In brief (written by this site)
The Home Office stated in its third progress report in May 2006 that this recommendation had been implemented (Home Office, May 2006). In its December 2004 progress report, the department had accepted the recommendation, reporting ongoing discussions with ACPO over guidance and accountability and noting that consideration was being given to reflecting the monitoring requirements in the performance framework through statutory or non-statutory measures (Home Office response, Dec 2004).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Government response
Recommendation 10 requires that standards are capable of being monitored within police forces and by HMIC, and that they fit with the PPA F. Discussions are continuing with ACPO about the implementation of the Code and associated guidance, and this will include issues of accountability, measurability and monitoring. As the guidance supporting the Code of Practice is developed, consideration will be given to how these requirements can best be reflected in the PPA F. Any necessary statutory changes to P PAF measures could take effect from 2006/07, and earlier non-statutory data-reporting would also be an option.
Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.
Scope of the 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.
Delivery
Home Office says completed (25 May 2006)
Recommendations 8–11 implemented.
From: Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Third Progress Report
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Home Office
Response, delivery statement