Written question asked by Lord Morris of Manchester (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour) on Thursday, 28 February 2008.

Crime: Incitement to Hatred

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations and supportive evidence the Ministry of Justice has received from the United Kingdom Disabled People's Council about making the incitement of hatred on grounds of disability a criminal offence and what action they are considering on this matter.

Answer: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Maria Eagle met with representatives from the United Kingdom Disabled People's Council on 4 February. It was a useful meeting where members of the council expressed their views and provided a paper. The Government are concerned to tackle crimes against disabled people. We have not yet seen compelling evidence that there is a gap in the law. But we will continue to consider this carefully.

Secondary information