§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to protect the black community on Thamesmead estate in Greenwich following the recent murders there.
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§ Mr. Peter LloydOperational decisions and the deployment of officers in Greenwich, as in the rest of the Metropolitan police district, are the responsibility of the Commissioner. I have every confidence in the ability of the Metropolitan police to protect the black community on the Thamesmead estate. Within days of the murders of Mr. Rolan Adams and Mr. Orville Blair, suspects were arrested and charged.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what efforts are being made to increase the level of reporting to the police of racial attacks.
§ Mr. Peter LloydAll chief officers are fully aware of the need to respond to racial attacks as a priority and to ensure that such attacks are properly recorded. Police forces have developed a range of methods to improve reporting, In co-operation with other local agencies, which are closely monitored by HM inspectorate of constabulary. These include the provision of information to ethnic minority communities, support and counselling for victims of racial attacks and an effective priority response in dealing with perpetrators. The police service's implementation of broader policies on equal opportunities and quality of service has one of its central objectives improving the confidence of ethnic minority communities in reporting crimes to the police.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many racial attacks were reported to the police during 1990.
§ Mr. Peter LloydSix thousand four hundred and fifty-nine racially motivated incidents were reported to police forces in England and Wales during 1990.