BBC Democracy Live - May unveils new police code of ethics 12 February 2013 Last updated at 13:23 Help Home Secretary Theresa May has outlined a new code of ethics for the police force in England and Wales, in a statement to MPs on 12 February 2013. It follows concern over force standards in wake of the phone-hacking scandal, the handling of the Hillsborough disaster, and the sacking of several senior officers. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will be given greater powers and there will be a stronger and more consistent system of vetting for police officers. Details of chief officers' pay packages, gifts and hospitality, second jobs, and their contact with the media will be published. And a national register of officers struck off from the police will be introduced to prevent them being recruited by other forces. Mrs May said the package of reforms will "strengthen the link" between the public and the police. Labour said the proposals were "sensible in principle" but shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said she would press for more detail on how they would work in practice. She said the home secretary could have gone further in some areas, notably reforming the IPCC - which has been heavily criticised by the Home Affairs Committee. The Home Affairs Committee said the body was "overwhelmed, woefully under-equipped and failing to get to the truth of allegations" - and needed more resources and powers. Ms Cooper called for the IPCC to be replaced with a new police standards authority and a framework of standards and accountability. But Mrs May said Labour's proposals amounted only to a "rebranding" of the IPCC, rather than delivering real reform. Jack Straw, who established the IPCC when he was Labour home secretary, welcomed Mrs May's announcements as a "sensible development" of the body's powers. One in four officers faced complaints between 2011 and 2012.