National Intelligence IT system hit by delays
Kablenet.com
Published: 15 Mar 2005 12:50 GMT
Sir Michael Bichard, who led the official inquiry following the Soham murders, is concerned that delays are already hampering efforts to set up a national police intelligence computer system.
Bichard had advised the government to set up a national intelligence system "as a matter of urgency" after his inquiry revealed data failures among the police forces responsible for vetting Soham murderer Ian Huntley.
But despite the Home Office approving a project to set up an intelligence IT system, key details are still to be worked out.
The Home Office had set aside a budget of £159m for changes to police IT following Bichard's recommendations and approved proposals to create the information sharing and intelligence system known as Impact.
Announcing his latest update on 15 March, 2005, Bichard said: "Although there is a commitment to a police national IT intelligence system, central budget provision and a strategic (high level) business case, its successful delivery is by no means guaranteed without a detailed business case, and the delay in providing this is a concern to me."
Also, despite all the focus on improving the performance of Police National Computer since the inquiry, little progress has so far been made, he said.
"Police performance on putting data on to the PNC about arrests and summons in particular has not improved significantly or in some respects at all. That has been a long standing problem and it is disappointing that after all this time, more has not been achieved."
He called on the Home Office to closely monitor the progress of several key IT projects. In addition to Impact and the PNC, he is also worried about the "barring scheme", a register preventing people with convictions from working with children.
"We are on the verge of having in the UK a coherent set of protective measures unrivalled anywhere, but if the national intelligence system and the barring scheme are not in place by 2007 we will have fallen short."
Bichard wants preparatory work on the IT projects to be completed by spring next year and called on the home secretary to issue progress reports in September 2005 and March 2006.
Home secretary Charles Clarke said he welcomed the latest review.
"We are not complacent and I welcome Sir Michael's further recommendations which are aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of his inquiry's findings. I am happy to accept all of these in principle and I also accept his recommendation for further progress reports to parliament in six and 12 months' time."
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