Racial Attacks (Hansard, 19 July 1989)

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis about the progress of the investigation into the alleged racial attack involving murder upon an Asian family in their home in Flower and Dean walk, Stepney, on Sunday 9 July; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The conduct of the investigation is a matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. I understand that the police are conducting a major investigation into what appears at present to have been an attempted robbery which ended in murder.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the speed of police response to emergency calls alleging racial attack; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
No record of the number of such representations is kept centrally. The report of the interdepartmental racial attacks group published in May 1989 recommends that, where there is public concern about the police response in cases alleging racial attacks, the police should monitor their response times carefully.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will request the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to publish an addendum to the latest edition of his annual report for 1988 on the force order on racial harassment issued in June 1987 which set out guidelines for the police investigating racial harassment and monitoring investigations of racial harassment; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
While it is not the general policy of the Commissioner to make public force orders, an exception has been made to the extract from police orders of 26 June 1987 which dealt with racial attacks and harassment. This has been published as annex H of the report of the interdepartmental racial attacks group published in May 1989. Copies of this report are available in the Library of the House. The Government fully support the many initiatives taken by the Metropolitan police to combat racial attacks and harassment.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evaluation there has been of the effectiveness of the force order on racial harassment; whether it will be made public; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
An internal management review of force instructions on racial attacks and harassment was carried out in 1988. This showed that all divisions within the Metropolitan police have adopted the minimum requirements set down, with most providing additional services in consultation with their local communities. The review is not being made public, but is being used to spread good practice throughout the force.