CAT/OP/GBR/ROSP/1 • Independent Monitoring Boards (Northern Ireland) • Northern Ireland Policing Board (Independent Custody Visiting Scheme) • Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (c) For Scotland: • Care Inspectorate • Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland • Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland • Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland • Scottish Human Rights Commission • Scottish Police Authority (Independent Custody Visiting Scheme) (d) For the whole of the United Kingdom: • Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation 18. Through the designation of numerous pre-existing bodies to form the national preventive mechanism, the Government of the United Kingdom wished to put to good use and continue an established tradition of independent inspection of places of detention. As a result, the mechanism, composed of 21 institutions, is unique and complex. Characterized by a great diversity of entities, the mechanism comprises bodies with explicit mandates in various detention settings and broad mandates in specific territorial jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. Another particularity of the mechanism is that it comprises lay and professional bodies. 19. Some members of the mechanism monitor places of detention as just one part of a much wider regulatory role, while others are dedicated to inspection functions only. For example, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority and the Care Quality Commission regulate and inspect the quality of all health and social care services in Northern Ireland and England, respectively. The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills inspects and regulates all services providing education and skills (e.g., schools and colleges, and education provision in prisons) as well as services that provide care for children and young people, including secure children’s centres and secure training centres. On the other hand, the key role of the Inspectorate of Prisons, the Independent Custody Visiting Association, the Independent Monitoring Board, the Inspectorates of Prisons and lay observers is to provide independent scrutiny of the conditions and treatment of persons deprived of liberty in a variety of detention settings. 20. The Subcommittee notes with great appreciation the extent of the collective work being done by the 21 members of the mechanism across the four nations of the United Kingdom. According to the figures provided by the mechanism, dedicated volunteers conducted at least 66,000 visits per year to prisons, young offender institutions, immigration detention facilities, and places of police and court custody, as well as to observe escorts. In addition, inspectors carried out 1,500 inspections annually across the United Kingdom. 21. The Government of the United Kingdom designated Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (England and Wales) to coordinate the national preventive mechanism. The Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent entity whose role is to provide independent scrutiny of the conditions for and treatment of prisoners and other detainees. 4 A mechanism secretariat was created within the Inspectorate, taking into account its coordinating function. 22. In 2016, the members and bodies of the mechanism appointed by agreement an external independent Chair to advise and support it in fulfilling its mandate pursuant to the Optional Protocol. The term in office of the Chair was renewed in October 2017 for a period of four years. 4 See www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/about-hmi-prisons/. 5