HC Deb 16 June 1998 vol 314 cc174-6W
Mr. Efford

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department in respect of racial awareness training for police officers. [45643]

Mr. Michael

There have been various evaluation studies of training courses and seminars run by the Home Office and the matter has been addressed in the course of reports on issues which have a bearing on racial awareness training.

In 1984, a report was published of the evaluation of an experimental series of four short courses in racism awareness training sponsored by the Home Office. In 1991, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (supported by Her Majesty's Inspectorate (Schools) and an independent assessor) inspected the Home Office Specialist Support Unit (SSU), which provides expert community and race relations training to the police. In 1993, the Home Office Police Research Group evaluated the six-week course in racial awareness offered by the Specialist Support Unit. In 1995, the Home Office Research and Planning Unit carried out a study of the annual Holly Royde seminar which is intended to help the police to address their local policing priorities and practice with a greater awareness of the multi-racial context in which they operate. These studies have highlighted the need to build racism awareness training into regular training programmes.

Details of other research into areas which have a bearing on racial awareness training are as follows:

Home Office study into Racial Attacks—November 1981

Police Research Group report on reducing repeat racial victimisation—November 1995 (ISBN 1–85893–453–2).

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's thematic report on police community and race relations—October 1997 (ISBN 1–85893–9658).

Police Research Group report on policing racially motivated incidents—November 1979 (ISBN 1–85893–988–7).

Much of this research concluded that more work needed to be done on building a better relationship between the police and the community. This included recommendations that police officers receive training in community and race relations generally and, more specifically, in developing a greater sensitivity to the impact of racial attacks on the community and in responding to ethnic minority groups.

Mr. Efford

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce more rigorous background checks for future applicants to join the police force.[45709]

Mr. Michael

All new recruits to the police service are subject to a vetting procedure. It is for individual forces to determine what other background checks are made in respect of those officers who have been selected for appointment to the police service. I have seen no evidence to suggest that these procedures are not satisfactory.

Mr. Efford

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement regarding racial awareness training procedures for the police indicating what training is compulsory. [45711]

Mr. Michael

At national level, all police officers receive training in community and race relations (CRR) as part of their probationer training. CRR forms part of the Strategic Command Course (which, since 1990, has been mandatory for all officers being appointed to the Association of Chief Police Officer ranks) and is also included in the Police Sergeants' Programme and the Inspectors' Management Development Course (which newly promoted Sergeants and Inspectors respectively are expected to attend) and the Trainers' Development Programme. The Staff College at Bramshill also runs a dedicated course on policing racial incidents.

Minimum Effective Training Levels in equal opportunities and community and race relations in the form of behavioural statements for officers up to and including inspector rank, have been devised and work is in hand to incorporate them into the national curriculum.

Further CRR training within forces is a matter for individual chief officers and the extent of such training and whether or not it is compulsory varies from force to force. Some forces run specific courses covering diversity issues, others integrate community and race relations issues within existing courses. Some forces make use of expert consultancy organisations in providing this training.

The Home Office funds a Specialist Support Unit which provides independent expert community and race relations training and advice to the police service. In the past, efforts have focused on training force trainers who cascade the training to officers in their forces. We will be implementing a new strategy for the provision of this specialist support from 1999 which will focus on:

completing the integration of community and race relations throughout the national training curriculum; and

support and training to individual forces to place community and race relations firmly within operational policing activities.

The Home Office also runs the Holly Royde seminar annually for police managers which focuses on the relationship between the police and the public—particularly minority ethnic communities—and the implications for operational policing in multi-racial Britain.