§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy on law and order in the light of the report of the community police consultative group for Lambeth on the Brixton disorders of 1985, a copy of which has been sent to him.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI recently met members of Lambeth community police consultative group to discuss their report on the Brixton riot. Our aim remains to encourage the police to establish and maintain the good working relationship with the community which is an essential basis for preventing crime and disorder; to ensure that the police have the manpower and the equipment necessary to tackle disorder effectively if and when it occurs; and to ensure that the law gives the police sufficient powers to prevent and deal with disorder while preserving our traditional right of peaceful protest and assembly.