The Bichard Inquiry - Report - Digital Education Resource Archive ...

of the responsibility of deciding what information should be released to
employers and would simplify arrangements for employers. It could – and
I think should – incorporate an appeal process for applicants who were
refused registration. It would also avoid information about past convictions
being released to prospective employers without reference first to the
individual concerned.
64 These new arrangements would need to be put in place over a period of
time and a decision will need to be made about which central body should
be responsible for administering the system. The government will also need
to be satisfied about costs matched against benefits, although preliminary
indications suggest that the new arrangements could offer savings in a
relatively short time.
65 The arguments for and against a card or licence are finely balanced and
again, these are matters for the government to consider. I merely say that
if it is decided to introduce a card, then a card with a photograph and
biometric details would provide real advantages in checking identity.
A national IT intelligence system
66 If it is possible to introduce a national IT intelligence system in Scotland
(and that will be done by the end of the year), then it should be possible
to do the same in England and Wales, even allowing for the additional
complexities.
67 It is regrettable that so little progress has been made since 1994 and
that, as a result, police forces do not easily or routinely have access to
intelligence held about an individual by other forces. The development
and early implementation of a national intelligence IT system in England
and Wales should be an urgent priority for the government, with the Home
Office taking the lead. At the least, an interim system for flagging the
existence of information should be in place by 2005.
Clear guidance on record creation, retention, review, deletion and the
sharing of information
68 Although there is much advice and guidance already in existence, it is
subject to local interpretation and leaves scope for confusion between the
concept of ‘review’ on the one hand and ‘deletion’ on the other. In some
circumstances, the guidance is unclear about the retention of convictionrelated
information and leads to inconsistent decisions about the retention
of criminal intelligence (that is, non-conviction related information).
69 As a result, the possibility of valuable intelligence being lost prematurely
is significant. I believe, therefore, that a new national Code of Practice is
needed, and that it should be made under the Police Reform Act, to ensure
that it is applied across the country. It needs to be clear and designed to
help police officers in the front line. It should supersede all existing guidance
and cover the capture, review, retention or deletion of all information
(whether or not it is conviction related). The Code should also cover the
sharing of information by the police with partner agencies.
10 The Bichard Inquiry – Introduction and summary