§ Sir Terence HigginsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he issues to constabularies in respect of requirements on those issued with a fixed penalty notice to provide information on their ethnic origin; what assessment he has made of the relevance of such information to the police; and if he will make a statement. [19087]
§ Mr. MacleanThe police service has, since 1 April 1993, been required to record the ethnic appearance of those stopped and searched under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. That was extended to arrests, cautions, and the victims and suspects in homicide cases, from 1 April 1996. This information will be published in the autumn. There are presently no plans to extend further the ethnic monitoring of police activity. Forces which wish to gather information in further areas of activity, however, are free to do so.