§ Mr. Tilleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the consideration by the Police Advisory Board on 26 January and the Police Training Council on 28 January of the recommendations of Lord Scarman.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe Police Advisory Board endorsed a proposal that, since the establishment of local liaison committees on a statutory basis would take some time, steps should first be taken to initiate liaison procedures on a voluntary basis. The board also endorsed a proposal to set up a study group to examine existing arrangements for increasing ethnic minority recruitment to the police service and to consider what more might be done. The board agreed unanimously on the need to eradicate racially prejudiced behaviour in the police service, but concluded that the existing discipline code made adequate provision for dealing with such behaviour.
The Police Training Council considered the recommendations on training. It was recognised that these would 386W require detailed examination and the council therefore decided to establish working parties to consider community and race relations training and probationer training; and to conduct reviews of training in public order and supervision and management. The council will reconvene in the autumn to assess progress.
§ Mr. Tilleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects his Department's study group on ethnic minority recruitment into the police to report.
§ Mr. MayhewWe expect the group to complete its work during the summer.