§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers employed in the Metropolitan police area have been sacked for sexual or racial discrimination in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. MacleanSexual discrimination is not a specific disciplinary offence. One officer was dismissed in 1992 for discreditable conduct, following a series of allegations of sexual discrimination; there were no comparable cases in 1993 or 1994.
Racially discriminatory behaviour is an offence under paragraph 9 of schedule 1 to the Police (Discipline) Regulations 1985. No officers were dismissed on this ground in 1992, 1993 or 1994. From the information that has been collected, it is not possible to say whether an allegation of racially discriminatory behaviour may have been a contributory factor in some cases of dismissal on other grounds, such as discreditable conduct, misconduct towards a member of a police force, or abuse of authority.
§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the months of(a) October, (b) November and (c) December 1994 officers of the Metropolitan police have been unable to attend magistrates courts in order to give evidence against those charged with offences due to budget limitations of the force; and on how many occasions in each month the persons concerned were discharged and no further proceedings taken.
§ Mr. MacleanNone, in each case.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of sexual or racial discrimination have been made against(a) policemen and (b) policewomen employed in the Metropolitan police area in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. MacleanThe following figures refer to complaints for which investigations were completed. It is not possible to provide the information in the form requested during the year in question.
In 1992, 205 complaints of racially discriminating behaviour against Metropolitan police officers were investigated, and in 1993, 198 complaints. In some cases, the complaint may have involved more than one officer. It is not possible to identify the numbers of male and female officers involved.
In 1994, the latest figures available indicate that a total of 287 complaints of racially discriminating behaviour were the subject of completed investigations. These related to 315 officers, of whom 259 were male and 43 female. The sex of the remaining 13 officers has not been recorded.
Figures for complaints of sexually discriminating behaviour are not collected centrally.