The police must ensure there is "sustained action" to
deliver a national IT intelligence system without delays, according
to the Bichard Inquiry into the Soham murders.
Sir Michael Bichard, chairman of the inquiry, has called upon
the government to ensure that a national IT intelligence system and
a registration or barring scheme for those working with children is
delivered on time, by 2007.
The conclusions form part of his review of the government's work
to date in implementing the inquiry’s recommendations.
Although they reflect some progress across government, in social
services and in school recruitment procedures, since he first
reported in June 2004, he also warned about the need for sustained
action to deliver a national IT intelligence system, the number one
recommendation in his original report.
He also noted slow progress in the timeliness of police
inputting information on to the Police National Computer.
The Bichard Inquiry followed the conviction of Ian Huntley for
the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
Bichard said, "In respect of the most important recommendations
- the National IT system and a registration or barring scheme for
those working with children, a great deal remains to be done before
we can claim success.
"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.
"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."
However, Bichard highlighted progress on on-line training for
teachers involved in interviews/selection for posts in schools, and
a new code for inputting data on to the Police National
Computer.