Police: Custody Debate

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Department: Home Office

Police: Custody

Baroness Howells of St Davids Excerpts
Tuesday 29th November 2011

(12 years, 11 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Henley Portrait Lord Henley
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My Lords, as I made clear, I do not believe that the police are guilty of racism. The police should, quite rightly, arrest those they think are committing offences and the criminal justice system should prosecute those people, irrespective of the colour of their skin, their gender or anything else.

Baroness Howells of St Davids Portrait Baroness Howells of St Davids
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My Lords, since the closure of the CRE, what steps have been taken to assist the police in dealing with the institutional racism that was clearly declared in the Scarman report?

Lord Henley Portrait Lord Henley
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My Lords, I think the noble Baroness is referring to the Macpherson report, not the Scarman report. Allegations were made about institutional racism at that time. The police have addressed that matter and I do not believe that there is racism within the police service as a whole.