Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Baroness Harman (Labour) on Wednesday, 15 July 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 July 2020 (named day). It was answered by Kit Malthouse (Conservative) on Monday, 20 July 2020 on behalf of the Home Office.

Stop and Search: Ethnic Groups

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that stop and search is not disproportionately affecting (a) black men and (b) BAME communities.

Answer

The Government is clear no one should be stopped and searched based on race or ethnicity and there are safeguards to ensure that this does not happen. These include Code A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 which sets out the statutory requirements for conducting a search, the use of body worn video to increase accountability, and HMICFRS inspections where force level disparities are examined.

Last year, the Home Office asked the College of Policing to update its guidance on stop and search to provide better practice to forces on community engagement and scrutiny.  The Home Office also publishes extensive data on police powers, including the use of stop and search, which allows Police and Crime Commissioners and others to hold forces to account. The latest publication is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2019.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
74424
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Ethnic groups Men Stop and search
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk