§ 2.50 p.m.
§ Lord Ritchie of DundeeMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to protect the Asian communities in East London from verbal and physical victimisation.
The Minister of State, Home Office (The Earl of Caithness)My Lords, the Government are deeply concerned about the incidence of racial harassment in East London and elsewhere. We are therefore giving every encouragement to efforts to combat this behaviour. The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has made action against racial attacks a priority in his force goal for the current year. Earlier this year his officers launched intensive publicity campaigns in Ealing and Newham. We are also exploring ways of improving inter-agency co-operation in preventing and responding to racial attacks.
§ Lord Ritchie of DundeeMy Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply, which is encouraging up to a point. However, is he aware of a recently published report which covers the borough of Newham for the year up to March 1987 in which it is shown that 1,550 cases of racial harassment took place of which only 1234 one in 20 was reported? Is that because the victims fear that the police will not take adequate action? If not, what is the reason?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, we are aware of the report but we have not had an opportunity to study the full report which as I understand it is not available. From what we have been able to read so far, the noble Lord is right in saying that some members of ethnic minority communities are for a variety of reasons reluctant to report racial incidents to the police. The police are particularly aware of that, are sensitive to the difficulties and are making considerable efforts to build up the confidence of the ethnic minority communities.
§ Lord MishconMy Lords, is it not a fact that at every opportunity in this House and in another place Members have expressed their opprobrium of acts of victimisation of immigrants to this country, including specifically the Asian community? In view of the exchanges that have taken place today, will the Minister consider ensuring that the police consult community leaders, especially in East London, so that reports are made of acts of victimisation? Will he also ensure that they visit various places in those areas in order to make it quite clear that such complaints will be taken very seriously?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, I echo the noble Lord's words that all of us in this House deplore racial harassment. I remember discussing the point with him on the Public Order Bill when we made great strides in trying to help ethnic communities. I shall discuss what the noble Lord says with my right honourable friend, but I know that the police do a great deal with regard to ethnic minority communities and are setting up community liaison officers. In fact the number has doubled since 1982.
§ Lord AveburyMy Lords, will the Minister say when the racial attacks working party—which as I understand it is a sub-committee of the Ministerial Group on Crime Prevention—is likely to report and whether its findings will be made public? With regard to the Newham crime survey, which my noble friend mentioned, is he aware that one in four of the borough's black residents have been victims of racial harassment during the period in question and that when they reported those incidents to the police, 80 per cent. expressed dissatisfaction with the way in which the cases were handled? Does he agree that that is not only a function of the perception by the black communities of the way in which the police deal with these matters but also a question of misinterpretation of the way in which the police respond? Will he say whether the Metropolitan Commissioner has taken up the point made in the police's own response to the Home Affairs Committee report of July 1986 that:
Police Forces should ensure that they have an adequate network of interpreters to call upon when needed".In particular the response states that they can make arrangements through community groups for a list of volunteers.
§ Lord AveburyMy Lords, I am quoting from the Home Office reply to the Home Affairs Committee. I was asking the Minister whether the Metropolitan Commissioner has acted upon this particular and most commendable suggestion of his department?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, I know that the noble Lord, who is keen to conform to the procedure of this House, would not wish me to reply to all his many questions in detail. From what I have seen I would dispute the figures in the Newham report, but until we have the full report it is difficult to comment further.
Lord HuntMy Lords, does the Minister agree that the people of South-East Asia—I am thinking especially of the Bengalis, of whom I have great knowledge—are notably peace-loving, law-abiding and, in so far as they are able to be so, hardworking citizens? Is it not ironic that they should be treated in this manner by the host community? Will he bear in mind that, in so far as they react, they react simply in despair against the treatment that they have been receiving?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, we welcome the ethnic minorities who wish to play a constructive part within the community. However, I do not necessarily agree that all the racial attacks come from the host country, because there is evidence of inter-ethnic minority racial attacks as well.
§ Lord Hutchinson of LullingtonMy Lords, will the Minister tell the House whether there has been any progress in getting local authorities to remove racist graffiti? This matter was raised in the debates on the Public Order Bill and he then undertook to see what could be done.
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, with respect, we discussed that matter fully during the Public Order Bill and it is a little wide of the Question on the Order Paper.
§ Lord MellishMy Lords, is the Minister aware that many of the Asians who are living in this country and who are welcome—and we all know that the police do a good job in this area—are victims of expulsion by Dr. Banda, who is the Prime Minister, or whatever he calls himself, of Malawi? He threw the Asians out of his country simply because they were Asians and for no other reason. We took them in. If that is not black fascism, I do not know what is.