§ 30. Mr. CasaleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about progress in tackling racism in the police force. [121561]
§ Mr. StrawIn February, I published my first annual report on progress of the implementation of my action plan to take forward the recommendations of the report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, a copy of which is in the Library. I was able to report that over half of the report's 70 recommendations had already been implemented and work was under way on the others. The Bill to extend the Race Relations Act 1976 to the police and other public authorities was introduced in December 1999. I have set targets for forces on recruitment, retention and progression of ethnic minority officers. In addition, a research programme to broaden the understanding of stop and search and the way it can be improved is currently well advanced. I have made increasing trust and confidence in policing among minority ethnic communities one of just two ministerial priorities for the current year.