§ Mr. Soamesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to which police forces have no race relations training.
§ Mr. HurdIn early 1982 the police training council working party of community and race relations training for the police issued a questionnaire to all forces in England and Wales to assess the volume of training in community and race relations given at that time. All recruits to the police service receive some race relations training as part of their initial course; but the working party found that eight forces out of a total of 43 gave no additional in-force training in race relations. We have no more recent information, though we know that there have been considerable developments in in-force training since that time. The working party's report, which my noble Friend, Lord Whitelaw, then Home Secretary, approved, recommended that in future all police officers should receive community and race relations training at regular intervals throughout their careers.