Eviction (Hansard, 16 May 1988)

§ Mr. Soley
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide the latest statistical information for(a) England and (b) Wales concerning (i) the number of prosecutions under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 for harassment and unlawful eviction and (ii) the number of successful prosecutions.

§ Mr. John Patten
The information available to me, which may be incomplete, is given in the following table:
motivated, the number of related prosecutions and the number of resulting convictions; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the information is not available in the precise form requested, and that no relevant information is available prior to 1983. The available information is set out in the following table:
311W

Number of "racial incidents"¹ reported to the Metropolitan police; number of racial incidents in which arrests were made; and number of racial incidents "cleared up"

1983 1984 1985 1986 1987

Serious assaults n/a 322 350 220 270

Minor assaults n/a 189 243 282 397

All racial incidents² 1,276 1,515 1,945 1,733 2,179

Racial incidents in which arrests made³ n/a 197 286 217 279

Racial incidents "cleared up"⁴ n/a n/a n/a. n/a 672

¹ A "racial incident" is defined by the Metropolitan police as "any incident in which it appears to the reporting or investigating officer that the complaint involves an element of racial motivation, or any incident which includes an allegation of racial motivation made by any person".

² The figures given include the following types of incident; serious assaults; minor assaults; arson; criminal damage; leafletting; abusive etc. behaviour; and slogan writing.

³ Figures are not available on the number of persons arrested.

⁴ A "clear up" occurs when both the offender and victim are known to the police and appropriate action (including arrest, summons, caution or other measure) is taken.

I know that the Commissioner shares my concern about the continuing incidence of racially motivated attacks and harassment. Effective action to combat such attacks is part of the Commissioner's force goal for 1988 (as it has been since 1985). In pursuit of this a number of special initiatives have been or are being taken.
Force instructions have been issued which provide mandatory requirements in respect of recording, investigating and monitoring practices. Initiatives also include anti-racial harassment campaigns (published in five Asian languages) and promoting multi-agency initiatives such as, racial harassment panels, helplines, community seminars and crime prevention advice. A special squad has been established in Newham and Tower Hamlets collating, evaluating and disseminating intelligence about racial incidents with a view to identifying patterns and arresting offenders.
I welcome these initiatives, which I believe demonstrate the commitment of the Metropolitan police to tackling these shameful crimes.

Number of "racial incidents"¹ reported to the Metropolitan police; number of racial incidents in which arrests were made; and number of racial incidents "cleared up"
	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987
Serious assaults	n/a	322	350	220	270
Minor assaults	n/a	189	243	282	397
All racial incidents²	1,276	1,515	1,945	1,733	2,179
Racial incidents in which arrests made³	n/a	197	286	217	279
Racial incidents "cleared up"⁴	n/a	n/a	n/a.	n/a	672
¹ A "racial incident" is defined by the Metropolitan police as "any incident in which it appears to the reporting or investigating officer that the complaint involves an element of racial motivation, or any incident which includes an allegation of racial motivation made by any person".
² The figures given include the following types of incident; serious assaults; minor assaults; arson; criminal damage; leafletting; abusive etc. behaviour; and slogan writing.
³ Figures are not available on the number of persons arrested.
⁴ A "clear up" occurs when both the offender and victim are known to the police and appropriate action (including arrest, summons, caution or other measure) is taken.