§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded incidents of racial harassment there were in Coventry during 1999–2000; and what steps he is taking to combat this crime. [144189]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeInformation on the number of racist incidents recorded by the West Midlands police will be published later this month as part of the annual publication "Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System". Separate information is not collected centrally for Coventry.
The Government have made tackling racist crime a priority. Action which is already under way includes the creation of racially aggravated offences; implementation of the Lawrence inquiry recommendations; a Home Office code of practice issued to all relevant agencies on the reporting and recording of racist incidents and crimes; and a new guide for tackling hate crime from the Association of Chief Police Officers.