HL Deb 20 February 2001 vol 622 cc89-90WA
Lord Tebbit

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are now able to answer questions on the ethnicity of the victims of violent crimes and the alleged perpetrators; and [HL735]

Whether the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 31 January (WA 63) concerning the ethnicity of those reportedly involved in robberies and assault in the Metropolitan Police area is compatible with his letter of 17 November 2000 to the Lord Tebbit. [HL736]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

My answer of 31 January 2001 referred to the published information on the ethnicity of those arrested in the Metropolitan Police area who were involved in robberies and assaults. No information is collected centrally on the ethnicity of victims for these offences. A proportion of such violent offences will be identified as racist according to the definition adopted following the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. It is information on this subset of violent offences that will be covered by the new data collection that was referred to in my letter of 17 November 2000. This new data collection will include information on the ethnicity of victims of racist violent crimes, their age group and gender.