§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons his Department's studies of(a) young offenders from different ethnic groups and (b) the policing of racial incidents was commissioned; what are the terms of reference of the study; how is it being conducted; what reports he has received on the findings of the study to date; and when in Spring 1999 the final report will be published. [73351]
§ Mr. BoatengBoth studies were originally approved in February 1995, when the right hon. Gentleman was Minister of State. The details are as follows:
Young Offenders from Different Ethnic Groups
A number of research studies have provided evidence of ethnic differences at each stage of the criminal justice process. This study has interviewed matched samples of young offenders of different ethnic origins to shed light on the various reasons for this. The findings are being written up and the report is likely to be published within the next four months.
Police recording of racial incidents
This study forms part of a wider study of police ethnic monitoring. The first part was published in December 1997 as "Ethnic Monitoring in Police Forces: a Beginning" (FitzGerald and Sibbitt, HORS 173). The second part is now in draft and examines:
(a) which incidents the police record as "racial incidents";(b) which incidents are not recorded, despite meeting the definition of a "racial incident";(c) the reasons for any mis-recording or under-recording; and(d) the scope for improvement.Publication is also expected within four months or so.
Neither of the reports has yet been put to me.