§ Mr. Nichollsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in encouraging the recruitment of higher numbers of black and Asian police officers; and what initiatives he is taking to stimulate further ethnic minority recruitment.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggAll police forces with substantial minority communities are anxious to increase the number of ethnic minority police officers and a variety of new initiatives have recently been taken to improve recruitment. As a result, the number of ethnic minority police 345W officers in England and Wales increased from 386 in June 1982 to 761 in December 1985 and to 898 in December 1986. A conference of the officers in charge of recruitment in all police forces in England and Wales was held in October 1986 to consider what more might be done and this produced some useful ideas, which we are taking forward. An additional staff officer to Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary has also been appointed, with specific responsibility for co-ordinating the efforts of forces and for following up the conclusions of the conference.