The Virdi Inquiry Report

Report: 7
Date: 24 January 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

This paper informs members of the publication of the report of the Inquiry Panel into the case of Sergeant Gurpal Virdi. The report was an independent inquiry commissioned by the Authority in September 2000 and chaired by R David Muir. 

The Report was published on 9 January 2002. It makes a number of recommendations directed to the Metropolitan Police Service, the Home Office, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Authority itself. The report proposes that the Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring Committee should take forward an action plan in respect of these recommendations.

A. Recommendations

1. That members note the report and welcome the publication of the report of the Virdi Inquiry Panel.
2. That members note that the Panel wishes to reconvene to take oral evidence from PS Virdi once the legal proceedings related to the case have concluded.
3. That members agree that the Professional Standards and Performance Management Committee (PSPM) should lead on monitoring progress against an action plan to take forward the recommendations of the report.

B. Supporting information

1. The Inquiry to examine the MPS case against PS Virdi and the Employment Tribunal's findings in relation to the MPS Discipline Board was announced on 1 September 2000. It was the first independent inquiry commissioned by the then newly established Metropolitan Police Authority. The Panel was chaired by R David Muir and the members included Angela Slaven (Deputy Chair) (formerly a member of the Authority), Radhika Bynon, Sir Geoffrey Dear, Nicola Williams, Lord Navnit Dholakia, Ahmed Ramiz and Beverley Thompson. The Authority also appointed an independent Policy Advisor to the Inquiry, Sue Harper who was assisted by Patricia Coney.

2. There was a clear remit to the Inquiry to make recommendations to the MPA in respect of the lessons learnt in this case. It was not the role of the Panel to reinvestigate the original events in Ealing, in which a number of race hate letters were received by officers and staff at Ealing Police Station. Nor was it within the terms of reference of the Inquiry to examine the conduct of the Discipline Board or, indeed, that of the Employment Tribunal.

3. The Authority had no direct powers to require witnesses to give evidence. All contributions were made voluntarily.

4. Members have received a copy of the full Virdi Report which was launched at a press conference held in Romney House on 9 January 2002. R David Muir chaired that conference, and was accompanied by Mr and Mrs Virdi and by Ian Blair, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service. At Appendix A (see Internal links) is a copy of the press release which accompanied the launch. Appendix B (see Supporting material) contains the introduction and executive summary to the report which details the Panel's examination of the original investigation, the Discipline Board and the Employment Tribunal. The recommendations of the Panel are set out in Appendix C (see Supporting material). The full report is available on this website.

5. The Panel recognise that its recommendations are to some extent provisional, given that, because of legal constraints relating to possible ongoing proceedings, PS Virdi was not able to give evidence in person to the Panel. He did submit a lengthy written statement but the Panel members were unable to question him on matters raised in that statement. When matters between the MPA, the MPS and PS Virdi have reached a final conclusion the Panel plans to reconvene to hear his evidence and to issue a supplementary report.

6. The Panel recognised that during the time take to hear evidence and conducts its enquiries progress had been made within the Metropolitan Police Service to restructure the Directorate of Professional Standards. It also recognise that some of its recommendations, relating to the inflexibility of the existing discipline processes, are a matter for the Home Office and could not be resolved without changes to Regulations at the very least, and possibly primary legislation.

Next steps

7. Nonetheless, there are a number of recommendations in the report which invite further action on the part of the various bodies to which they are addressed. An action plan to monitor progress against these recommendations and to ensure that the MPA itself responds is now in preparation. It is proposed that the responsibility for ensuring that this action plan is finalised and that progress is monitored should rest with the PSPM Committee.

C. Financial implications

The overall cost of the Inquiry was £194,944. The bulk of this expenditure went to meeting the allowances paid to the Chair and members of the Panel and the Senior Policy Advisor. The financial provision for the Inquiry was agreed to be met from the MPA first year set-up costs reserve by Co-ordination and Urgency Committee at meetings on 23 November 2000 and 5 July 2001.

D. Background papers

The Virdi Inquiry Report.

E. Contact details

Report author: Catherine Crawford, Clerk, MPA.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback