The next meeting of the Professional Standards Committee, on Wednesday 7 July, will see a presentation from the head of Community and Justice Department, giving a breakdown of recorded complaints received in the department from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010.

This new way of presenting complaints to the Committee is designed to highight the differences between departments and divisions and will really allow Members to see these differences for themselves.

The most significant type of complaint received by this department is Breach of Codes of Practice - Treatment of Detained Persons. The reason for the increase in complaints is due to a change in recording practices.

It is hoped that this new process, by focusing on local accountability, will play a significant role in increasing transparency.