HC Deb 17 December 1992 vol 216 cc443-4W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of racially motivated crime have been recorded each year since 1979 in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Jack

The information available relates to reported racial incidents, as defined by the Association of Chief Police Officers, and is for England and Wales only. The available figures are as follows:

Number of racial incidents in England and Wales
Number of incidents
Year Provincial forces Metropolitan Police England and Wales
1985 3,955 1,945 5,900
1986 4,833 1,733 6,566
1987 3,126 2,179 5,305
1988 2,169 2,214 4,383
1989 2,347 2,697 5,044
1990 3,451 2,903 6,354
1991 4,509 3,373 7,882

ACPO definition: Any incident in which it appears to the reporting or investigating officer that the complaint involves an element of racial motive, or any incidents which include allegations of racial motivation made by any person.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been victims of racial attacks in London in each year since 1990, detailed by London borough; and what advice is given to the Metropolitan police on reporting such attacks as racially motivated.

Mr. Jack

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms. Ruddock) on 16 December on the number of racial incidents in each London borough.

The Metropolitan police work to Association of Chief Police Officers guidelines in these matters in common with all other forces.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many racially motivated attacks on asylum seekers and refugees have been recorded by his Department in 1992; in which counties they took place; and what were the victims' nationalities.

Mr. Jack

The information requested is not available centrally.