§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each year since 1989 the number of complaints against the police completed in England and Wales in which racially discriminatory behaviour was alleged; how many of those were substantiated and how many were unsubstantiated; how many were informally resolved; of those that were substantiated, how many resulted in a disciplinary charge; and what was the outcome of such a charge.
§ Mr. MacleanFigures for the number of complaints against the police of racially discriminatory behaviour and their outcome are set out.
Information is not collected centrally about the categories of offences leading to disciplinary proceedings.
Complaints of racially discriminatory behaviour (all police forces in England and Wales) 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 Substantiated 4 5 7 3 5 Unsubstantiated1 107 210 240 259 281 Informally resolved 67 69 79 98 96 Withdrawn 113 125 100 101 68 Total 291 409 426 461 450 1 Including complaints dealt with by dispensation.
§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for(a) the Metropolitan police and (b) the rest of England and Wales the number of police complaints in each of the last five years for which records are available that were dispensed with (i) in total, (ii) because it was not reasonably practicable to complete a satisfactory investigation, (iii) because they were anonymous, (iv) because they were repetitious, (v) because they were vexatious, oppressive or otherwise an abuse of the procedures for dealing with complaints, (vi) because more than 12 months has elapsed between the 305W incident and the making of the complaints or (vii) because the matter had already been informally resolved; and if he will list in each case the number of requests for dispensations that were (1) made and (2) refused.
§ Mr. MacleanThe Police Complaints Authority has kept statistics in relation to individual reasons for dispensations since 1993 only.
In 1993, in respect of all forces in England and Wales, the figures were as follows:
Reason for dispensation Number Incapable of meaningful investigation 6,717 Anonymous 4 Repetitious 69 Vexatious, etc. 83 Delayed 202 Total 7,075 There were also nine dispensations refused in 1993.
The total numbers of dispensations recorded by the Police Complaints Authority since 1989 which were (a) granted and (b) refused, in respect of all forces in England and Wales, are as follows:
Year 1989 1990 1991 1992 Granted 2,113 2,991 4,083 6,035 Refused 28 42 37 20
§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil claims for police misconduct were reported to HM inspectorate of constabulary in each of the last three years for which figures are available in respect of each police force in England and Wales.
§ Mr. MacleanThis information is not collected by HM inspectorate of constabulary.
§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases in each of the last three years for which figures are available complaints against the police were investigated by an officer from another force.
§ Mr. MacleanThis information is not collected centrally.
§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of cases of complaints against the police for each of the last three years for which figures area available(a) which were mandatorily referred to the Police Complaints Authority for supervision, (b) which were referred to the authority for it to decide whether or not to supervise the investigation, (c) which the authority decided on their merits to supervise in the public interest and (d) which were referred to the authority for supervision in total.
§ Mr. MacleanSections 87 and 88 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Police (Complaints) (Mandatory Referrals etc). Regulations 1985 define the type of case which must be referred or may be referred voluntarily to the Police Complaints Authority for possible supervision. The Police Complaints Authority is required by section 89 of the 1984 Act to supervise the investigation of all complaints relating to a death or serious injury. It may also supervise any other complaint or non-complaint case which is voluntarily referred to it306W and where it considers it in the public interest to do so. The authority may also require the referral of a complaint so that it may consider supervision.
The table shows the number of cases, including those originating from a complaint, between 1991 and 1993 (a) which were mandatorily referred to the Police Complaints Authority for supervision; (b) which were voluntarily referred; (c) which were required to be referred by the Police Complaints Authority; (d) the total cases referred; (e) the number which were mandatorily supervised by the Police Complaints Authority; and (f) which were supervised at the authority's discretion.
1991 1992 1993 Mandatory referrals 4,212 4,333 3,998 Voluntary referrals 103 132 129 Referrals required by PCA 15 11 12 Total referrals 4,330 4,476 4,139 Mandatory supervision 421 420 625 Discretionary supervision 308 337 326
§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many police complaints cases completed in each of the last five years for which figures are available complainants made formal representations of dissatisfaction with an investigation or its outcome.
§ Mr. MacleanThis information is not collected centrally.