HC Deb 22 December 1997 vol 303 cc547-8W
34. Mr. Tims

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of racial violence have been recorded in each of the last five years. [20193]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The total number of racial incidents recorded by the police in England and Wales for the last five years were:

Number
1992 7,734
1993–94 11,006
1994–95 11,878
1995–96 12,222
1996–97 13,151

These are incidents recorded under the Association of Chief Police Officers' definition of a racial incident: any incident in which it appears to the reporting or investigating officer that the complaint involves an element of racial motivation, or any incident which includes an allegation of racial motivation made by any person".

Under data collection requirements agreed by member states within Europe, figures giving details of the numbers of serious racial incidents have been submitted to the European Union for 1994–95 and 1995–96. The 1994–95 figures showed that, of the 11,878 racial incidents recorded by the police, 564 were in respect of serious crime. Of these, four were murders; three were attempted murders; 161 were attacks involving explosives/arson and 396 were serious assaults. In 1995–96, of the 12,222 racial incidents recorded by the police, 440 were in respect of serious crime. Of these, two were murders; 163 were attacks involving explosives/arson; and 275 were serious assaults.

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