Police intelligence system delayed until 2010

The national police intelligence database recommended following the Bichard inquiry into the Soham murder investigation will not be fully operational until 2010.

But new Home Secretary John Reid insisted "good progress" is being made on the Bichard recommendations despite the fact the Impact intelligence database was initially due to be completed by 2007.

Reid said 21 of the 31 Bichard recommendations have been delivered and work is underway on those that are outstanding, including interim intelligence-sharing systems for police forces.

The Home Office claims the timetable for the Impact national intelligence system has been extended in recognition of its scale and complexity.

The interim Impact Nominal Index (INI) currently allows police officers to check whether other forces hold any information on a person they are investigating. That will be followed by fuller, cross-regional information-sharing capability by 2007.

Total costs of the Impact programme have so far been estimated at £367m over 10 years, including the £31m of funding made available last year for the INI. Internal "business process change" costs will come out of each police force's own budget.

The aim is for the Impact system to eventually link local and national databases and replace the existing Police National Computer.

Reid said the government remains "fully committed" to implementing the whole programme recommended by Bichard.