§ 5. Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received urging him to take new action to combat racist attacks.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerIn the new year I will publish a progress report on the work of the police service and other agencies in tackling the problem of racially motivated attacks. I make it clear that there should be no place for racially motivated attacks in our country.
§ Mr. CohenIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that it has been calculated that there is one racial attack every 30 minutes and that the savagery of such attacks has increased? With racism on the increase in Europe and in this country because of high unemployment, is not there a danger that there could be yet more racial assaults in Britain? Have not calls for action by organisations such as the Society for Black Lawyers been met by Government 560 intransigence? Is not it time to have a specific crime of racial harassment, as I proposed in my 1985 Racial Harassment Bill?
§ Mr. BakerI do not agree with the hon. Gentleman's latter point. I recognise that there has been an increase in racially motivated attacks—there was a rise in 1990. As the hon. Gentleman knows from a debate on London which he attended, last year nearly 3,000 attacks were reported in London—an increase of 8 per cent. The clear-up rate is about 30 per cent. I assure the House that, in all the speeches that I have made at police meetings and conferences this year, I have repeatedly stressed to the police that I want them to give this type of crime high priority.
§ Mr. JanmanClearly the tributary of the River Tiber that runs through Leyton is already foaming. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the best and most subtle way to prevent such attacks is to ensure that the British people know that they have a Government who are taking the steps necessary to keep firm control of immigration and particularly to prevent people from abusing our immigration rules by entering this country under the bogus concept of being political refugees? I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the steps that he has taken to do just that.
§ Mr. BakerWe have followed a policy of keeping tight control of immigration. As my hon. Friend knows, I shall introduce the Asylum Bill to deal with that problem. Over the years, successive Governments of all complexions have worked to improve race relations and Britain probably has the best record in Europe for harmonious race relations.