§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps(a) he has taken and (b) he will take to improve the relationship between the police and the West Indian community in the inner cities.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe Government will continue to support the police in their efforts to be responsive to the needs and concerns of Afro-Caribbean and other communities within the inner cities and elsewhere. We are encouraging effective consultation by the police with all sections of the public, and in particular with members of the ethnic minority communities. We are emphasising to chief officers and police authorities the priority that we believe should be placed on recruitment and retention of ethnic minority officers and civilians, and the importance of implementing effective equal opportunities policies. We have also recently established a specialist support unit for police community and race relations training to help ensure that a professional approach to community and race relations is integrated into all aspects of police training.