§ Baroness Lane-Foxasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken to introduce lay visiting to police stations.
§ Lord EltonWe welcome the idea of lay visiting first proposed in the report on the Brixton disorder by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Scarman, as a positive way of bringing police and public closer together and of securing public confidence in the treatment of persons in police custody. With the full support of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis a lay visiting scheme has been set up covering police stations in the London Borough of Lambeth and similar schemes are being established in other parts of the Metropolitan Police District where they would be useful and practicable. The Lambeth scheme has made a very encouraging start, and I believe has made a welcome contribution to the improvement of relations between the police and the local community.
With the full support and encouragement of my right honourable friend the Home Secretary, lay visiting schemes have also been established by a number of police authorities outside London. We have been keeping the progress of these schemes under 776WA review, in consultation with the Association of County Councils, the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and chief police officers. We shall be considering with them in the autumn the form of a circular to chief officers and police authorities commending lay visiting wherever there is felt to be a need for it, and setting out a code of best practice based on the experience of the schemes already in operation.