(Con):...Before
the outcome of Operation Conifer was published in October last
year, it was already obvious that an independent inquiry would be
needed. In June 2017, Mr MBE, Wiltshire’s
Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, said that,
“an independent review of the evidence, perhaps by a retired
judge, is required”.
Months of uncertainty followed...
...Assuming that the answer is in line with the answers that have
been given to recent Oral Questions, the Government could readily
take action to secure justice for Sir Edward. However, they too
evade responsibility. They constantly seek to pass it back to Mr
Macpherson, despite his repeated repudiations of it. On 12
November, in answer to an Oral Question from me, my noble friend
Lady Williams stated:
“Any review or inquiry, should one be carried out, should be a
decision of the PCC”.
A few moments later, she repeated the point in answer to the
noble Lord, , saying that,
“an inquiry is a matter for the police and crime
commissioner”.—[Official Report, 12/11/18; col. 1690.]
A grotesque version of pass the parcel has been played with a
deceased statesman’s reputation...
(CB):...Hence the need for an independent inquiry. The
police and crime commissioner said that he would welcome an
inquiry but not one initiated by him. That was
because, he said, this is a national matter. The Home Secretary,
when the noble Lord, , and I went to see
him, refused to conduct an inquiry because it is a local matter.
I do not know of any way in which one can resolve this dilemma.
Is it a national matter or is it a local one? They do not seem to
be able to agree...
(Con):...Then there is the accountability
of Police
and Crime Commissioners. In Wiltshire, the PCC refused
all requests for a full inquiry into Operation Conifer. Mike Veale,
the chief constable, has now left Wiltshire for pastures new and
the PCC is not standing for re-election. So where, may I ask, is
the accountability? How is the much vaunted accountability of PCCs
supposed to function in this instance?..
(Con):...The police and crime commissioner has
failed to use his powers—although he seemed to be about to at one
point—perhaps because of the reputation that my noble friend
suggested, and the police themselves do not seem prepared to
salvage their reputation, so the Home Office, the Government, must
set up an inquiry—and the sooner, the better. I add my voice to
those calling for a proper resolution to the outstanding
accusations.
The Lord Bishop of Salisbury:...Had Sir
Edward still been alive, he would have been interviewed. He is not.
The matter would have had to have been decided in a court of law.
It cannot be. Would that the Church of England had learned from
that. When the Operation Conifer report was published, I felt that
that was a helpful principle to establish. But there will be more
lessons to learn from it—for both Sir Edward’s reputation and for
Wiltshire Police, but also for the country at large. In the very
difficult process that we are going through, an independent,
probably judicial, review would be very helpful to establish what
lessons can be learned from this. This is not a matter to be
financed just from Wiltshire: the police and crime commissioner has
made that clear. This investigation was conducted on behalf of 14
forces. Therefore, it is appropriate to put this as a problem to
the Government and to say that a review needs to be undertaken for
the good of all...
(Con):...My right
honourable friend the Home Secretary has recognised the strength of
feeling on this matter and the issues it raises, but has also
thought carefully about the proper role of government. It remains
his view that the handling of this is properly a matter for the
local police and crime commissioner and that it would not be
appropriate for the Government to seek to persuade him of how to go
about it...
...The response to my noble friend
’s final question, sadly, is
no. We remain of the view that this is a matter for the local
police and crime commissioner to handle, and it would not be
appropriate for the Government to seek to persuade him how to go
about this...
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