CAT/OP/GBR/RONPM/1 9. The report remains confidential unless the national preventive mechanism decides to request the Subcommittee to make it public, in accordance with article 16 (2) of the Optional Protocol. The Subcommittee firmly believes that the publication of the present report would contribute to the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in the State party. Therefore, the Subcommittee recommends that the mechanism request the publication of the present report in accordance with article 16 (2). 10. Moreover, the Subcommittee draws the national preventive mechanism’s attention to the Special Fund established under the Optional Protocol. Only recommendations contained in those Subcommittee visit reports that have been made public can form the basis of applications to the Fund, in accordance with its published criteria. 11. The Subcommittee will send a separate confidential report to the authorities of the United Kingdom, which will include recommendations addressed to the State party on its obligations regarding the effective functioning of the national preventive mechanism, as well recommendations concerning the protection of persons deprived of their liberty against torture and ill-treatment.5 12. The Subcommittee wishes to express its gratitude to the national preventive mechanism for its cooperation and the facilitation of the visit. II. National preventive mechanism A. Set-up of the national preventive mechanism 13. On 31 March 2009, the United Kingdom designated, through a ministerial statement to Parliament, 18 existing oversight bodies to form the national preventive mechanism. In the statement, the Minister of State (Ministry of Justice) indicated that the requirements of the Optional Protocol would be fulfilled in the United Kingdom by the collective action of existing inspection bodies. In December 2013 and January 2017, three other institutions were added to the mechanism, bringing the membership to a total of 21 bodies or groups. 14. The current composition of the national preventive mechanism is as follows: (a) For England and Wales: • Care Inspectorate Wales • Care Quality Commission • Children’s Commissioner for England • Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons • Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services • Healthcare Inspectorate Wales • Independent Monitoring Boards • Independent Custody Visiting Association • Lay observers • Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (b) For Northern Ireland: • Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland • Independent Monitoring Boards (Northern Ireland) • Northern Ireland Policing Board (Independent Custody Visiting Scheme) • Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority 5 4 Optional Protocol, art. 11 (a).