§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect on existing training programmes in crime prevention, community relations and race awareness of the extra training requirements arising from the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe special retraining exercise for the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 is nearly complete. It will not be a continuing requirement, since the 1984 Act provisions now form part of basic training for new recruits.
Some short-term readjustments of training programmes have been necessary, but training continues in the three important areas specified in the question, and has been tailored to take account of the provisions of the Act. The Act training programme, by underlining the need for open and accountable exercise of police powers, will itself have contributed to improved awareness of the need for good relations between the police and the community.