HC Deb 03 July 1991 vol 194 c170W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many racially motivated incidents were reported to each police force in Scotland in 1988, 1989 and 1990; what was the nature of the incidents reported; and what was the outcome.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The numbers of apparently racially motivated incidents reported to each police force in Scotland in the years in question are set out in the table.

Number of incidents
Police force 1988 1989 1990
Central Scotland police 9 18 45
Dumfries and Galloway constabulary Nil Nil Nil
Fife constabulary 1 1 3
Grampian police 4 4 9
Lothian and Borders police 89 91 178
Northern constabulary Nil Nil Nil
Strathclyde police 197 236 300
Tayside police 1 227 101
1 Not available.
2 Since August 1989.

The majority of the incidents reported related to verbal abuse, breach of the peace, vandalism and assault. Forces have different methods of categorising outcomes; Strathclyde police reported a 90 per cent. detection rate in 1990 as regards the incidents in question.