HL Deb 15 December 2003 vol 655 cc95-8WA
Lord Faulkner of Worcester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assistance they have provided to the Jamaican Constabulary Force and its executive agencies; what is the financial value of the programme; what is the human rights content of the training; and what government-to-government military or security equipment transfers have taken place. [HL117]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The Jamaican Constabulary Force's modernisation and reform programme is supported by DfID through a grant of £3 million over a five-year period. This programme includes a strong emphasis on the way in which the Jamaican Constabulary Force serves the people of Jamaica, including human rights issues such as victim support and gender awareness. Other projects funded this financial year are listed below:

Caribbean Search Centre (trains search teams primarily to detect drugs and weapons) £630,000;

Ionscan (drugs interdiction equipment) £350,000;

Communications equipment for JDF (for coastguard) £400,000;

Red/Stripe Calypso-JCF/JDF training that focuses on peacekeeping and internal security, with a strong human rights element, £550,000;

Meacher Project £240,000-correct use of firearms, preservation of lives.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What evaluation has been undertaken of the training they provide to the Jamaican Constabulary Force. [HL118]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The Department for International Development (DfID) undertook a formal review of the Jamaican Constabulary Force's modernisation and reform programme in March 2002, two years after the programme began. This was followed by a further in-depth review in October 2002 and a series of monitoring visits. These reviews have included every aspect of the programme, including training.

The Meacher project which focuses on the correct use of firearms and preserving lives is currently in the review and quality assurance stage.

A full review of the Jamaican security sector will begin this month, including the Jamaican Constabulary and Defence Forces. The review is being carried out by the Government of Jamaica with assistance from the Government's Defence Advisory Team, and the American and Canadian Governments. The review will include a strategic review of the training Jamaica's security forces receive.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the training they provide to the Jamaican Constabulary Force includes preservation of forensic, ballistics and other evidence from incident scenes where police have discharged firearms or used other force. [HL119]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Some of the training provided to the Jamaican Constabulary Force under the Meacher project focuses on preserving forensic evidence at scenes of crime.

My right honourable friend the Prime Minister initiated the Meacher project in Jamaica in 2001, based on recommendations from Molly Meacher, Head of the UK Police Complaints Authority who visited Jamaica that year, specifically to look at the high levels of fatal police shootings. This on-going project tackles issues at the heart of the Jamaican Constabulary Force's (JCF) human rights record. For instance, it trains officers in using firearms safely and properly. The project has been designed to be self-sustaining by training JCF trainers. The project is funded completely by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office using consultants who have previously served in the Metropolitan Police Service and the RUC.

The project also seeks to strengthen the Jamaican police complaints authority and speed up investigations into allegations of improper conduct. The JCF has co-operated fully with us in addressing these concerns.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What procedures are in place to monitor the use of force by individual police officers in the Jamaican Constabulary Force to whom they have provided training, firearms or other security equipment. [HL120]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The Government do not directly monitor the performance of individual officers. That is a task for the Government of Jamaica and the local media, preferably with constructive input from civil society and the private sector.

No firearms or security equipment have been provided since 2001, other than technical equipment used specifically for drugs interdiction.

We have provided assistance to strengthen and reform the Jamaican police, and to the investigation into the police killings in the district of Crawle. We are pleased to see some improvements in the style of policing evident from the professional way in which the police handled a serious shoot-out in the settlement of Canterbury in October 2003. We welcome the recent decision to bring charges against some of the policemen involved in the killing of seven youths in Braeton in 2001.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What monitoring procedures are in place to ensure that small arms and other security equipment exported from the United Kingdom to Jamaica are not being used by police officers in the Jamaican Constabulary Force to commit unlawful killings or injuries. [HL121]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

No firearms have been exported since 2001. In that year the Government of Jamaica purchased from the UK 100 Beretta pistols which were issued to gazetted officers not on front line duty. The Government of Jamaica provided an undertaking that only Jamaica Constabulary Force Officers who had been certified as having received use of force and human rights training, such as training in methods of non-lethal apprehension of suspects, were to be issued with these weapons.

Part of the agreement for the sale was that Jamaica's Police Public Complaints Authority (PPCA) would have automatic access and power to intervene in all cases where police misconduct is recorded. The authority includes civilians and human rights advocates. The head of the PPCA has confirmed that this now occurs.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the implications for the assistance provided by Scotland Yard to the Jamaican Constabulary Force of the police killings of Lewena Thompson, Angela Richards, Matthew James and Kirk Gordon on 7 May. [HL132]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The British Government expect to continue future co-operation with the Government of Jamaica on law enforcement issues.

The killings referred to in my noble friend's Question, which took place in the Crawle district of Clarenden, are under investigation by the Jamaican Constabulary Force. Scotland Yard is assisting in the investigation at the request of the Government of Jamaica.

In May 2003 the Government of Jamaica requested assistance from Scotland Yard with the investigation. The Metropolitan Police Service has given the Jamaican Constabulary Force technical assistance to gather forensic and ballistics evidence. It has also given advice on procedures for conducting this type of enquiry.

The decision on any prosecution or disciplinary action resulting from Scotland Yard's assistance is entirely a matter for the Jamaican Director of Public Prosecutions and the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF).

Lord Faulkner of Worcester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they consider the human rights record of the Jamaican Constabulary Force when planning joint police operations with them. [HL133]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The British Government works closely with the Government of Jamaica to combat the flow of Class A drugs to the United Kingdom, but remains concerned about the human rights abuses committed by the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF). This is why much of our co-operation also focuses on modernising and improving the JCF with an emphasis on respect for human rights and community policing. The Government regularly raise with the Government of Jamaica the need for robust human rights standards, especially in policing.

The Government of Jamaica have made a commitment to reforming the Jamaican Constabulary Force and in November 2003 Jamaica's Police Commissioner, Francis Forbes, unveiled extensive plans to tackle corruption in the JCF. In a public statement Commisssioner Forbes asserted that corruption and other illegal acts, such as the killing of innocent persons by the police, contribute to public mistrust of the police force.