HC Deb 29 March 1973 vol 853 cc1503-5
4. Mr. John Fraser

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to increase the recruitment of coloured policemen, policewomen and special constables into the Metropolitan Police.

32. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the recruitment of coloured policemen into the Metropolitan Police and other forces.

Mr. Carlisle

With my right hon. Friend's active encouragement, chief officers of police, who are responsible for recruitment to their forces, adopt the publicity and other measures best suited to their areas. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and his recruitment staff pay special attention to the need to encourage members of coloured communities to join the Metropolitan Police as regular or special constables. He has made it known through newspapers which circulate among coloured communities that appropriately qualified members of these communities would be welcomed into the force and he has sought to convey the same message through the work of his community liaison officers, who are in day-to-day touch with community leaders.

Mr. Fraser

I thank the Minister for that encouraging reply. Will he consider induction courses for traffic wardens to go into the police force after entrance examinations and further approaches to careers officers and youth employment bureaux with a view to getting coloured cadets as well as coloured policemen?

Mr. Carlisle

Certainly we shall do what we can, through career opportunities and youth employment officers, to encourage people of all colours to join the police cadet force. I shall have to consider the matter raised by the hon. Gentleman about traffic wardens.

Mr. Goodhart

As it is plain that the recruitment of more coloured policemen would be the best possible way of improving relations between coloured communities and the police, will my hon. and learned Friend take up with community liaison officers the idea of approaching headmasters and careers masters to draw the attention of school leavers to the opportunities available?

Mr. Carlisle

I shall certainly do so. There has been an increase, though only a small one, in the number of coloured people in police forces. I can assure my hon. Friend that the Commissioner's staff attends career conferences and has visited schools to provide information about careers in the Metropolitan Police—and it will continue to do so.