My Lords, I thank the Minister for her careful and detailed introduction. She probably knows far more than I ever will at this stage about this subject; Chief Inspector Morse was a very impatient tutor, as his long-suffering sergeant always indicated. First, and briefly, the chief constable of North Wales, Mark Polin QPM, is retiring. He has led and leads a very dedicated team of officers. Mr Polin has been a fine professional in difficult times of austerity. He has led with shrewdness and good judgment, and he has served the far-flung communities of north Wales very well. It is a very demanding bilingual, mountainous and industrial area—not the easiest beat to operate in. He must be a fine public servant, because he has accepted the invitation of the Wales Assembly Government to take on the chairmanship of our National Health Service trust, which again means more difficult choices in an austerity climate.
5.30 pm
The Explanatory Memorandum is helpful and quite detailed. At paragraph 7.2(b) it is good to read:
“These changes take account of concerns that suspects might not realise that a voluntary interview is just as serious and important as being interviewed after arrest. This applies particularly when the interview takes place in the suspect’s own home rather
than at a police station … In particular, it requires the suspect to be informed of all the rights, entitlements and safeguards that will apply before they are asked to consent to the interview and to be given a notice to explain those matters”.
It is good to read those sentences in the Explanatory Memorandum. The Minister may answer here this question, or perhaps later: how many interviews have taken place in suspects’ homes for the latest year for which statistics are available?
Consultation is mentioned at paragraph 8, and I read at paragraph 8.2 a list of those who took part. It is a considerable list, and must be welcomed for its detail in the memorandum. Can the Minister give details about some of the consultees who I have not heard of: Revolving Doors, Just for Kids Law and the individual independent custody visitor, particularly the latter? What do these organisations and individuals do?