DM-9 Response Not Accepted Self-assessed

Regulation of private investigators

Recommendation

The Government should act on its stated intention in 2013 to require licensing measures, introduce legislation to ensure the creation and use of standards, and implement the recommendation in the 2016 review concerning the regulation of private investigators.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
According to the official government response from June 2023, the Government has not acted on the recommendation to introduce licensing measures or legislation for the regulation of private investigators. In its June 2023 response, the Home Office noted positive steps taken by the private investigator industry through the Association of British Investigators' draft Code of Conduct, and stated that it would keep under review the need to extend regulation to introduce a new regime.
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 19 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
Jurisdiction
England
Section Reference
Volume 1
Response
Not Accepted
Not Accepted Home Office
22 Jun 2023

The Panel recommended the introduction of licensing for the private investigator sector. The government notes the positive steps the private investigator industry is taking towards raising standards through the progress of the Association of British Investigators' draft Code of Conduct. In light of this progress we will keep under review the need to extend regulation to introduce a new regime.

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Progress Timeline
Official Report
22 Jun 2023

Government effectively not accepting this recommendation. While technically "accepted in principle", the response indicates no legislative or regulatory action will be taken - only ongoing monitoring/review.

Source
Source
Inquiry Daniel Morgan Panel
Report The Report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel 15 Jun 2021
View Source
Responsible Bodies
Home Office Primary
Themes & Tags
Police Vetting Inconsistencies Police investigation management Private Investigators Regulation Legislation
Recommendation age 4.8 yrs
Last formal update 1006 days ago