Soham murder inquiry chairman Sir Michael Bichard has cast doubt on the likely success of a national police intelligence IT system.

His comments follow the publication of a report from the Commons Home Affairs committee last week criticising the state of police IT.

Bichard's inquiry in June 2004 into how Soham murderer Ian Huntley was given a job in a school, despite earlier allegations of sexual offences, concluded that a system for sharing intelligence data between local police forces is a 'national priority'.

In a progress report published this week, Bichard wrote to Home Secretary Charles Clarke: 'The effectiveness of the police service in the 21st century depends upon the effective use of intelligence. That depends in turn on the availability of this national IT system.'

The £140m Impact programme was developed in response to the inquiry recommendations. Initial data-sharing pilots went ahead last month and the system is due to be fully operational by 2007.

But there are considerable cultural issues associated with developing a single IT system for use country-wide, because the police sector is made up of 43 independent local forces.

'The successful delivery of the national IT intelligence system is by no means guaranteed,' said Bichard. 'The implementation of Impact requires a level of commitment from individual forces which has hitherto been rare.'

Keith Mannings, policy officer at the Association of Police Authorities, said: 'There is a continual tension between the national solution and local priorities, and there needs to be a balance struck.

'But this inquiry has focused the minds of those involved because of the overall aim to prevent another Soham.'

Bichard's comments come just days after the publication of a report by the Commons Home Affairs Committee that is highly critical of the limited progress in introducing police IT systems, and calls for annual reports from the government until requirements for an integrated case and custody system are satisfied.

'There is an acute need for an integrated transmission system allowing the police, the courts and the Crown Prosecution Service to communicate electronically with each other,' says the report.

'Police officers and staff are entangled in paperwork because they do not have the IT systems they need and want. Redressing this deficiency should be a Home Office priority.'

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