---

Home Office

Answer

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training police officers receive in how to deal with victims of (a) child abuse and (b) rape; and whether there is an officer at every police station who has received this training. [112106] Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There is currently no national training for police officers on dealing with victims of child abuse and rape. Individual forces are responsible for determining the training required by their officers. Centrex (the Central Police Training and Development Authority) is reviewing the training needed by police officers in relation to the investigation of sexual offences in the light of recommendations made in the report of a joint inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. The review will result in a new learning requirement which will define what officers need to learn and the standards to which they should be trained and will be aligned with the National Occupational Standards for the police service. The Home Office, together with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Police Skills and Standards Organisation, Centrex and others, is considering how to take forward the recommendations of Lord Laming in the report of his inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie. The Government are committed to implementing Lord Laming's recommendations, which included several concerning the training of police and other practitioners involved in child protection work. The deployment of officers following training is entirely a matter for the chief officer of the force concerned.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

112106; 405 c253-4W;405 c253W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Children Abuse Crime Police Rape Training Sexual offences Victims Victim support schemes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk