Questions and answers

Find more information on the creation of the College of Policing.

What is moving from the National Policing Improvement Agency to the College of Policing?

On 26 March 2012, the government announced the following NPIA functions will move, by December 2012, to the College of Policing:

• learning, development, strategy and curriculum
• authorised professional practice
• exams and assessments
• international academy
• National College of Police Leadership
• uniformed operational support
• some specialist training
• criminal justice and local policing unit
• NPIA's research, analysis and information unit

The College of Policing will also inherit the NPIA's relationship with the Home Office's office for security and counter-terrorism, which funds the Police National Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Centre, though the office of security and counter-terrorism will continue to provide management support and oversee the CBRN Centre budget after the creation of the new body.

What is the timetable for the NPIA's phase-out?

The National Policing Improvement Agency will be phased out, operationally, by December 2012. The Crime and Courts Bill currently before Parliament includes the clause to abolish the NPIA.

The methodical phasing out of the NPIA has already started. We have already:

• announced the establishment of the police ICT company
• transferred non-ICT procurement staff to the Home Office
• transferred a number of nationally important functions to the National Crime Agency (via the Serious Organised Crime Agency) which supports its operational crime-fighting focus.

Is the NPIA's estate at Bramshill going to close?

No decision has been made about the future of the NPIA's estate at Bramshill.  We are working with the police service and the NPIA to consider future options in advance of the College of Policing becoming operational later this year.

How will the body be funded?

Those functions transferring to the interim body from the NPIA will come with their existing reducing budgets until the end of the current spending review period in 2015. This will give the College of Policing the opportunity to decide the requirements of officer and staff training.

There is no plan to require individual officers and staff to pay to be members of the College of Policing, for their training or to sit exams. These are issues which the statutory college may consider in the future. The College will not issue any licence to practise policing.

How will the body relate to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and the Independent Police Complaints' Commission (IPCC)?

There is no intention for the College of Policing to duplicate any of the functions carried out by the IPCC or HMIC. Conduct issues will continue to be the responsibility of each police force.