Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the statistics published by her Department entitled Police Powers and Procedures, published on 17 November 2022, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department's policies of the proportion of black and black British children strip searched in (a) London region and (b) England and Wales.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The collection and publication of data on police custody will bring additional transparency and accountability to custody in England and Wales and help us better understand how and why police powers and procedures are used within the custody process. The Home Office only received data from a subset of forces so the findings should be interpreted with caution as it is partial and not representative of the national picture. We will work with police forces and the NPCC to improve data quality in the future and use the data published on 17 November to inform conversations with the police and other stakeholders to promote wider policy development.
The police custody data collection became mandatory for 2022/23. From April 2023, Home Office will request data from forces and then assess the quality of the data which will help inform future decisions made by the Policing Data Requirement Group (PDRG) as to whether the collection remains mandatory. All data collections are reviewed each year by the PDRG to ensure that data requested from the police is proportionate to the need for the data and that forces have the technical capabilities to provide the data requested.
There is a formal definition of vulnerability which police officers are expected to use to determine vulnerability of adults in police custody. It is set out in paragraph 1.13 (d) of Code C to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). Custody officers should therefore carry out vulnerability assessments of everyone in custody in line with this definition.
Section 3.15 of PACE Code C requires the custody officer to secure an appropriate adult for any vulnerable adult detained in police custody.
Strip search is an important policing tool that can help the police recover concealed drugs, weapons or other items which may cause harm to themselves or the person being searched. Strip search is one of the most intrusive powers available to the police and its use must be fair, respectful and without unlawful discrimination. No one should be strip searched based on any protected characteristics including race, sex, and age. Any use of strip search should be carried out in accordance with the law and with full regard for the welfare and dignity of the individual being searched, particularly if that individual is a child.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the use of police tasers on children.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is clear that all police use of force must be reasonable, proportionate and necessary in all circumstances.
All police officers are comprehensively trained in assessing the potential vulnerabilities of a person, including their age and size when they take the difficult decision to use force which is necessary to achieve a lawful objective.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Policing Data Requirement Group on making the collection of data on police custody mandatory.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The collection and publication of data on police custody will bring additional transparency and accountability to custody in England and Wales and help us better understand how and why police powers and procedures are used within the custody process. The Home Office only received data from a subset of forces so the findings should be interpreted with caution as it is partial and not representative of the national picture. We will work with police forces and the NPCC to improve data quality in the future and use the data published on 17 November to inform conversations with the police and other stakeholders to promote wider policy development.
The police custody data collection became mandatory for 2022/23. From April 2023, Home Office will request data from forces and then assess the quality of the data which will help inform future decisions made by the Policing Data Requirement Group (PDRG) as to whether the collection remains mandatory. All data collections are reviewed each year by the PDRG to ensure that data requested from the police is proportionate to the need for the data and that forces have the technical capabilities to provide the data requested.
There is a formal definition of vulnerability which police officers are expected to use to determine vulnerability of adults in police custody. It is set out in paragraph 1.13 (d) of Code C to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). Custody officers should therefore carry out vulnerability assessments of everyone in custody in line with this definition.
Section 3.15 of PACE Code C requires the custody officer to secure an appropriate adult for any vulnerable adult detained in police custody.
Strip search is an important policing tool that can help the police recover concealed drugs, weapons or other items which may cause harm to themselves or the person being searched. Strip search is one of the most intrusive powers available to the police and its use must be fair, respectful and without unlawful discrimination. No one should be strip searched based on any protected characteristics including race, sex, and age. Any use of strip search should be carried out in accordance with the law and with full regard for the welfare and dignity of the individual being searched, particularly if that individual is a child.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the statistics published by her Department entitled Police Powers and Procedures, published on 17 November 2022, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department's policies of the proportion of (a) black and black British adults, (b) Asian and Asian British adults and (c) adults of other ethnic backgrounds classed as vulnerable who were detained in police custody.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The collection and publication of data on police custody will bring additional transparency and accountability to custody in England and Wales and help us better understand how and why police powers and procedures are used within the custody process. The Home Office only received data from a subset of forces so the findings should be interpreted with caution as it is partial and not representative of the national picture. We will work with police forces and the NPCC to improve data quality in the future and use the data published on 17 November to inform conversations with the police and other stakeholders to promote wider policy development.
The police custody data collection became mandatory for 2022/23. From April 2023, Home Office will request data from forces and then assess the quality of the data which will help inform future decisions made by the Policing Data Requirement Group (PDRG) as to whether the collection remains mandatory. All data collections are reviewed each year by the PDRG to ensure that data requested from the police is proportionate to the need for the data and that forces have the technical capabilities to provide the data requested.
There is a formal definition of vulnerability which police officers are expected to use to determine vulnerability of adults in police custody. It is set out in paragraph 1.13 (d) of Code C to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). Custody officers should therefore carry out vulnerability assessments of everyone in custody in line with this definition.
Section 3.15 of PACE Code C requires the custody officer to secure an appropriate adult for any vulnerable adult detained in police custody.
Strip search is an important policing tool that can help the police recover concealed drugs, weapons or other items which may cause harm to themselves or the person being searched. Strip search is one of the most intrusive powers available to the police and its use must be fair, respectful and without unlawful discrimination. No one should be strip searched based on any protected characteristics including race, sex, and age. Any use of strip search should be carried out in accordance with the law and with full regard for the welfare and dignity of the individual being searched, particularly if that individual is a child.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the statistics published by her Department entitled Police powers and procedures, published on 17 November 2022, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the proportion of vulnerable adults detained in police custody for whom an appropriate adult was called in (a) London region and (b) England and Wales.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The collection and publication of this data will bring additional transparency and accountability to police custody in England and Wales and help us better understand how and why police powers and procedures are used within the custody process. The Home Office only received data from a subset of forces so the findings should be interpreted with caution as it is partial and not representative of the national picture. We will work with police forces and the NPCC to improve data quality in the future and use the data published on 17 November to inform conversations with the police and other stakeholders to promote wider policy development.
Children who are charged and denied bail must be transferred to local authority accommodation unless it is impracticable to do so. We expect forces and local authorities to work together to facilitate this in line with the provisions of the Concordat on Children in Custody.
We are pleased to note that in 99% of cases an appropriate adult was called for a child detained in police custody but concerns remain that only in 41% cases was an appropriate adult called for a vulnerable adult. We acknowledge that appropriate adult provision for vulnerable adults needs to improve and will look towards both the police and local authorities to work together to improve in this area.
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility for the provision of appropriate adults for children who must be provided an appropriate adult when detained in police custody.
Adults identified as vulnerable must be supported in custody by an Appropriate Adult. The 2018 PCC-Local Authority Partnership was introduced to improve the planning and delivery of appropriate adult services.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the statistics published by her Department entitled Police powers and procedures, published on 17 November 2022, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the frequency with which an Appropriate Adult was called for a child detained overnight in police custody in (a) London region and (b) England and Wales.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The collection and publication of this data will bring additional transparency and accountability to police custody in England and Wales and help us better understand how and why police powers and procedures are used within the custody process. The Home Office only received data from a subset of forces so the findings should be interpreted with caution as it is partial and not representative of the national picture. We will work with police forces and the NPCC to improve data quality in the future and use the data published on 17 November to inform conversations with the police and other stakeholders to promote wider policy development.
Children who are charged and denied bail must be transferred to local authority accommodation unless it is impracticable to do so. We expect forces and local authorities to work together to facilitate this in line with the provisions of the Concordat on Children in Custody.
We are pleased to note that in 99% of cases an appropriate adult was called for a child detained in police custody but concerns remain that only in 41% cases was an appropriate adult called for a vulnerable adult. We acknowledge that appropriate adult provision for vulnerable adults needs to improve and will look towards both the police and local authorities to work together to improve in this area.
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility for the provision of appropriate adults for children who must be provided an appropriate adult when detained in police custody.
Adults identified as vulnerable must be supported in custody by an Appropriate Adult. The 2018 PCC-Local Authority Partnership was introduced to improve the planning and delivery of appropriate adult services.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the statistics published by her Department entitled Police powers and procedures, published on 17 November 2022, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the proportion of children detained overnight in police custody in (a) London region and (b) England and Wales.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The collection and publication of this data will bring additional transparency and accountability to police custody in England and Wales and help us better understand how and why police powers and procedures are used within the custody process. The Home Office only received data from a subset of forces so the findings should be interpreted with caution as it is partial and not representative of the national picture. We will work with police forces and the NPCC to improve data quality in the future and use the data published on 17 November to inform conversations with the police and other stakeholders to promote wider policy development.
Children who are charged and denied bail must be transferred to local authority accommodation unless it is impracticable to do so. We expect forces and local authorities to work together to facilitate this in line with the provisions of the Concordat on Children in Custody.
We are pleased to note that in 99% of cases an appropriate adult was called for a child detained in police custody but concerns remain that only in 41% cases was an appropriate adult called for a vulnerable adult. We acknowledge that appropriate adult provision for vulnerable adults needs to improve and will look towards both the police and local authorities to work together to improve in this area.
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility for the provision of appropriate adults for children who must be provided an appropriate adult when detained in police custody.
Adults identified as vulnerable must be supported in custody by an Appropriate Adult. The 2018 PCC-Local Authority Partnership was introduced to improve the planning and delivery of appropriate adult services.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2022 to Question 69785 on Police Custody: Children, what estimate she has made of the (a) number of Custody Officers and other relevant staff and (b) proportion of Custody Officers and other relevant staff who have completed the one-day immersive training course as of 1 November 2022.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police custody is governed by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Codes of Practice which set out the legal framework for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers. As policing is operationally independent of Government, Chief Constables and elected Police and Crime Commissioners are responsible for the training and operational management of custody suites.
The College of Policing has recently launched a one-day immersive training course for custody officers and staff focusing on high-risk scenarios. This will be available in due course for all police forces in England and Wales to deliver locally and each police force should determine their own training needs and enrol officers and staff onto the course as required. The Home Office do not gather data on the completion of training by police forces.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy to make the publication of police custody data mandatory for all police forces.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Information on adults and children detained in police custody and strip searches that have taken place in police custody has been collected by the Home Office for the first time this year (2021/22).
As is usual practice for all new data collections added to the Annual Data Requirement (ADR), these data have been collected on a voluntary basis for 2021/22 to allow forces time to embed recording processes and make changes to their systems as required. As such, not all forces have provided data or have provided partial data, with some forces reporting issues with extracting the data from their custody systems.
Data that have been collected from forces are scheduled for publication on 17 November 2022 in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical publication: Police powers and procedures: Other PACE powers, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2022 - National statistics announcement - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2022 to Question 69787 on Police Custody: Children, whether any police forces have encountered technical issues preventing the publication of police custody data for the Police Powers and Procedures bulletin on 17 November 2022.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information is not held in the requested format.