Review of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Professional Standards Board (PSB)

The request was successful.

Dear Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services,

In a response to a request by investigative journalist, Neil Wilby, for a statement concerning a peer review that allegedly took place in May 2016, the press office of Greater Manchester Police said, inter alia:

“The Peer Review by the Metropolitan Police originally planned for 6 weeks in late 2015 had been delayed due to operational matters. This was rescheduled to May 2016 by which time substantial work was already underway as part of the independent review. The peer review therefore was focused as an assessment of the progress that had been made and changes which were planned. This was reduced from the initial scope to two days as this was sufficient for its revised purpose - to support the independent review and transformational change programme which had started in Nov 2015. The Peer report was provided to GMP in December 2016.

“The external reference group was established in Feb 2016 with an independent chairperson. Representatives on the group included a wide range of individuals with expertise and views about the work around professional standards. They continued to provide support and advice until June 2017.

“The programme of work has led to changes being made to the way professional standards operates in GMP and we are continuing to review and develop this work. Since then there have been reviews by HMICFRS (Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Service) and the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) who have raised no issues of significant concern.”

Disclosure is, therefore, requested from HMFRIC for (i) all data held relating to the review referred to in the above paragraph and (ii) the external reference group referred to in the penultimate paragraph.

Yours faithfully,

Neil Wilby
Investigative journalist

Twitter: @Neil_Wilby
Web: neilwilby.com

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Good morning, thank you for your email.

Your request is being handled as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We will aim to send you a full response by 17 January 2019, which is 20 working days from the date we received your request.

Yours sincerely

FOI Team
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services

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Dear HMICFoI,

May I respectfully remind you that the Act requires a public authority to respond to information requests PROMPTLY. The 20 working day limit is a backstop, not the day to start considering a response.

It is disappointing in the extreme that an appointee of Her Majesty, and himself a lawyer, has such a limited apprehension of his statutory obligation in this regard.

The relevant extract from the Act can be found at the below weblink:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/200...

Yours sincerely,

Neil Wilby
Investigative journalist

Twitter: @Neil_Wilby
Web: neilwilby.com

1 Attachment

Good afternoon,

Please see attached letter regarding your Freedom of Information request.

Yours sincerely

HMICFRS FOI Team
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services

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Dear HMICFoI,

Thank you for the disclosures.

They are most helpful and I am duly grateful.

It would not be proportionate to pursue disclosure of any residual material and you may, therefore, close the file.

Yours sincerely,

Neil Wilby
Investigative journalist

Twitter: @Neil_Wilby
Web: neilwilby.com