§ Mr. DevaTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what view he has formed of the effectiveness of current laws to deal with racially motivated attacks; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerAll violent attacks are already criminal offences. Racially motivated attacks are particularly abhorrent and that is why the courts can and do take racial motivation into account as an aggravating factor when passing sentence.
We strengthened the process to deal with racially motivated attacks in the Criminal Justice Act 1994 and believe that our laws are now adequate. We must now concentrate on making sure that they are used consistently and effectively across the country to deal with these odious crimes.