Recommendation L78: PNC Access Auditing
From An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press, published 29 November 2012.
Recommendation
The Police Service should re-examine the rigour of the auditing process and the frequency of the conduct of audits in relation to access to the Police National Computer (PNC). Additional consideration should also be given to the number of people given access to the PNC and the associated rules which govern its usage.
In brief (written by this site)
The Inquiry recommended reviewing Police National Computer access rules and audit rigour. In May 2024, Lord Sharpe of Epsom, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office, stated that policing recommendations accepted by the National Police Chiefs' Council had been addressed (Lord Sharpe of Epsom, May 2024). The Minister did not detail the auditing frequency or limits on the number of people granted access (Lord Sharpe of Epsom, May 2024). Earlier, in February 2013, the department reported that the Association of Chief Police Officers supported applying greater rigour to access audits, alongside a planned inspection of the system (Home Office, Feb 2013).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 1 Oct 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
The Metropolitan Police Service, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and the College of Policing have implemented or are implementing all of the Inquiry’s recommendations in relation to law enforcement. For example, the College of Policing have published a code of ethics and developed national guidance for police officers on how to engage with the press. Reforms in the Policing and Crime Act 2017 also strengthened protections for whistleblowers.
Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.
Scope of the government response
PM David Cameron responded to all 92 recommendations with a single statement accepting them "in principle" or "in part". No per-recommendation response was published.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from Police or National Police Chiefs Council has been found in the sources searched (last checked 24 February 2026). This is separate from the response above.
What other bodies have found
In their own words. These do not change the delivery statement above.
Home Office (23 May 2024)
The Leveson Inquiry made eight recommendations (68 and 75-81) concerning the press and the police, focused on providing greater transparency and openness. These were accepted by the Government, the College of Policing and the then Association of Chief Police Officers (superseded by the National Police Chiefs’ Council). All the recommendations have been addressed.
From: Police: Journalism (written question HL4705)
Site note: The source gives this passage once, for recommendations 68 and 75 to 81 together. The same words are recorded on L68, L75, L76, L77, L78, L79, L80 and L81.
Earlier findings (1)
Home Office (12 February 2013)
The Home Office accepts this recommendation and its approval of HMIC’s inspection programme for 2013/14 will be made contingent on the basis of the inclusion of a PNC inspection in the next financial year. ACPO have also indicated that they support this proposal and they will ensure that greater rigour is applied in PNC access audits.
From: Leveson Inquiry Report Recommendations - Home Office Response
Site note: The Home Office's response to each of the Leveson report's recommendations on policing, placed in the House of Commons Library as deposited paper DEP2013-0290. The document is undated; the date is that of the deposit's covering letter and of the Home Secretary's statement announcing it, 12 February 2013.
Site note: The Home Office's table gives the "Policy Owner" of this recommendation as "HMIC", that is HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. The words are the Home Office's response; they report what the policy owner is doing, so the site files them under the Home Office.
Source
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response - Home Office
Finding