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| Crime record backlog 'a failure' | Crime record backlog 'a failure' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The Home Office suffered a "collective failure" to recognise the significance of a backlog of records of Britons convicted abroad, a report has found. | The Home Office suffered a "collective failure" to recognise the significance of a backlog of records of Britons convicted abroad, a report has found. |
| The inquiry said ministers were not told about the failure to update police computers over a 10-year period. | The inquiry said ministers were not told about the failure to update police computers over a 10-year period. |
| The report was launched after the discovery of a backlog of 27,000 cases, including hundreds of serious offences. | The report was launched after the discovery of a backlog of 27,000 cases, including hundreds of serious offences. |
| The Home Office said it "welcomed the report" and was determined to "learn its lessons". | The Home Office said it "welcomed the report" and was determined to "learn its lessons". |
| The inquiry was commissioned by the department's Permanent Secretary, Sir David Normington, after it emerged that details of 27,529 cases were left in files at the Home Office. | The inquiry was commissioned by the department's Permanent Secretary, Sir David Normington, after it emerged that details of 27,529 cases were left in files at the Home Office. |
| The report said the figure for the number of cases in the backlog was now just over 20,000. | The report said the figure for the number of cases in the backlog was now just over 20,000. |
| These included 540 serious crimes such as rape, murder and robbery which were not entered onto the Police National Computer. | These included 540 serious crimes such as rape, murder and robbery which were not entered onto the Police National Computer. |
| 'Regrettable' | 'Regrettable' |
| Home Secretary John Reid and his ministers had claimed they were not notified about the case files which were left unprocessed for a number of years. | Home Secretary John Reid and his ministers had claimed they were not notified about the case files which were left unprocessed for a number of years. |
| The report concluded that officials did not warn ministers because they did not realise the significance of information being sent to them by police forces from Europe and Turkey. | The report concluded that officials did not warn ministers because they did not realise the significance of information being sent to them by police forces from Europe and Turkey. |
| Home Office senior personnel director Dusty Amroliwala, who headed the inquiry, said the lack of action was "difficult to understand and very regrettable". | Home Office senior personnel director Dusty Amroliwala, who headed the inquiry, said the lack of action was "difficult to understand and very regrettable". |
| He said: "I have found no evidence that the existence of the accumulated records or their content were brought to ministerial attention at any time prior to 9 January 2007." | He said: "I have found no evidence that the existence of the accumulated records or their content were brought to ministerial attention at any time prior to 9 January 2007." |
| There had been a significant number of opportunities for officials to tell ministers of the problem, he added. | There had been a significant number of opportunities for officials to tell ministers of the problem, he added. |
| We now need to go further and faster to achieve greater accountability, better performance and higher standards Sir David Normington,Home office permanent secretary | We now need to go further and faster to achieve greater accountability, better performance and higher standards Sir David Normington,Home office permanent secretary |
| But plans to inform ministers were "diverted" on at least two occasions in the previous six months, because of other events and "an absence of lateral thinking" by civil servants, the report said. | But plans to inform ministers were "diverted" on at least two occasions in the previous six months, because of other events and "an absence of lateral thinking" by civil servants, the report said. |
| Eventually, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) was paid to enter the data into the national police computer and the extent of the problem became clear. | Eventually, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) was paid to enter the data into the national police computer and the extent of the problem became clear. |
| An ACPO official wrote to the Home Office in October 2006, and the same month Adrian McAllister, the acting deputy chief constable of Lancashire Constabulary and the ACPO lead for criminal records, wrote to Tony McNulty, the Home Office minister, the report said. | |
| Mr McNulty has denied ever seeing the letter. His junior Joan Ryan replied to Mr McAllister six weeks later. | |
| But the report said the home secretary and ministers were not aware of the backlog until January. | |
| 'Lessons learnt' | 'Lessons learnt' |
| Sir David welcomed the report but said the department had already moved on from the "picture painted in the report". | Sir David welcomed the report but said the department had already moved on from the "picture painted in the report". |
| But he added he was "determined that we should learn its lessons". | But he added he was "determined that we should learn its lessons". |
| He said new measures were in place for assessing risks to the public and for informing senior managers and ministers. | He said new measures were in place for assessing risks to the public and for informing senior managers and ministers. |
| "And we now need to go further and faster to achieve greater accountability, better performance and higher standards in every part of the Home Office," he added. | "And we now need to go further and faster to achieve greater accountability, better performance and higher standards in every part of the Home Office," he added. |
| A senior Home Office official remains suspended, and his case will be dealt with in the next few weeks. | A senior Home Office official remains suspended, and his case will be dealt with in the next few weeks. |