Morris inquiry

Report: 14
Date: 10 January 2005
By: Clerk

Summary

This report provides the Board with the Morris Inquiry executive summary and recommendations published on 14 December and an outline of initial plans for the MPA’s approach to implementation.

A. Recommendations

That the Board notes the content of this report.

B. Supporting information

1. The MPA commissioned the inquiry, chaired by Sir Bill Morris, to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into professional standards and employment practice in the Metropolitan Police Service examining the way complaints, grievances, allegations against individuals and conflict within the workplace is handled by the organisation.

2. The inquiry was formally launched on 21 January 2004 and published its report on Tuesday 14 December making 37 recommendations. An executive summary of the report is attached together with its recommendations as Appendix 1

3. The Chair of the MPA has tasked his deputy chairs and the chairs of Professional Standards and Complaints Committee, the HR Committee and the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board to convene a steering group of members to discuss the Authority’s approach to the inquiry’s recommendations.

4. These members met on 16 December 2004 and agreed that a workshop be held to inform and facilitate interim debate on the issues surrounding the inquiry recommendations.

4. This Steering Group will be responsible for leading the oversight of implementation of the Morris Inquiry recommendations. It is proposed that the group will report to the Co-ordination and Policing Committee and be informed by a stakeholders forum.

C. Race and equality impact

1. The terms of reference of the Morris Inquiry and the associated notes set out by the MPA, requested the inquiry panel:

“To inquire into the conduct by the MPS of the following matters in relation to police officers and police staff – policies, procedures and practices for and resolution of Employment Tribunal claims, in particular those claims involving allegations of race or other discrimination against the MPS.”

To establish whether the policies, practices, procedures and structures of the MPS in relation to those matters represent food effective practice in line with key strategies and the statutory obligations of the MPS and MPS under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and other relevant legislation.

To identify lessons to be learnt from the outcome of recent high profile cases (including recommendations made by the Gurpal Virdi Inquiry, and the outcome of the case involving Supt. Dizaei).

To consider whether there are disparities in the treatment of black and other minority police officers in relation to grievance, complaint and disciplinary proceedings and hearings.”

2. It is crucial that the MPS and the MPA learn from the areas of improvement highlighted by the Morris Inquiry, in order to secure improvement in confidence levels within black and minority ethnic communities, identified in the government’s Public Service Agreements with criminal justice agencies as being disproportionately low.

D. Financial implications

1. There is provision in the MPA draft budget for an additional £40,000 for Professional Standards work within the MPA to implement recommendations of the Inquiry relating to the MPA’s functions for the complaints and discipline process.

2. Officers are currently considering what additional temporary resource will be needed to manage, co-ordinate and monitor the implementation of the recommendations overall. This could be of the order of £25- 50,000

E. Background papers

• Appendix 1: Executive Summary and Recommendations of the Morris Inquiry Report
  The Case for Change: People in the Metropolitan Police Service.
  An independent inquiry into professional standard and employment matters in the Metropolitan Police Service.

F. Contact details

Report author: Hamida Ali

For more information contact:

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

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