§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training measures have been introduced by the police in England and Wales to prevent deaths in police custody. [8683]
§ Mr. MacleanThe custody officer training package, which is available to forces in England and Wales, covers all statutory duties and procedures contained within the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, and its associated codes of practice, for dealing with people taken into custody. They stipulate that a police surgeon must be called to any person who appears to be suffering from physical illness or mental disorder; is injured; fails to respond normally to questions; or otherwise appears to be in need of medical attention. In urgent cases, the person must be sent to hospital or the nearest available medical practitioner called.
Persons in detention have to be visited every hour, and those who are drunk at least every half hour. The custody officer may remove any articles of clothing or personal effects if he considers the suspect may use them to cause harm to himself or others.
§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been(a) disciplined, (b) suspended and (c) charged with offences relating to the death of a black person in custody since 1990. [8682]
§ Mr. MacleanThis information is not held centrally.
§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many coroners' inquests into 401W the deaths of a black person in police custody or prison custody there were in each of the last five years; and what were the causes of death. [8680]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe information regarding deaths in police custody is not held centrally. I understand that the verdicts of inquests regarding relevant deaths in prison arising since details have been collected are as follows
1994Three natural causes, one suicide, one inquest outstanding;1995Two natural causes, four suicides, one misadventure, one open, three inquests outstanding;1996 (to 11 December)Two natural causes, two inquests outstanding.
§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many police stations a black person has died while in custody during the last five years; [8681]
(2) how many deaths in police custody in England and Wales of (a) black, (b) Asian and (c) Irish people there were in each of the last five years. [8679]
§ Mr. MacleanThese figures are not held centrally. In previous years, police forces have not been required to report the ethnic background of people who die in police custody. That information has been required since April 1996 and will be included in future annual published statistics.