Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how ethnicity will be disaggregated in reporting on the (a) detention and (b) strip and intimate search of children in police custody in the next publication of the police powers and procedures statistical data.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
For the first time, information on the ethnicity of children detained in custody or subjected to strip searches or intimate searches whilst in police custody, is being collected by the Home Office.
For detentions and strip searches, ethnicity data has been collected at the 18+1 level, in line with the 2011 Census, and will be published with that full detail.
For intimate searches, ethnicity data has been collected and will be published at aggregated group level only (white, black, Asian, mixed or other).
Strip search and intimate search are two of the most intrusive powers available to the police. There will be times when its use is necessary, to prevent or detect crime or protect the individual or officers. However, it must be used 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.
Data have not been received from all forces, but data that have been collected 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, what steps he is taking to ensure Custody Officers receive sufficient training on the detention of children in police custody.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Children should only be detained in police custody when absolutely necessary. It is extremely positive that the number of children in police custody has decreased significantly over the last 10 years. However, sometimes it is operationally necessary to detain children in order to investigate alleged offences, bring offenders to justice and keep people safe. Children are rightly acknowledged as a protected group with specific needs and vulnerabilities and any detention of a child must be lawful, proportionate and carried out in accordance with appropriate safeguards and guidance.
The College of Policing (CoP) Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice provides the framework and guidance for which police custody suites operate. The CoP has developed a one-day immersive training course for custody officers and staff focusing on high-risk scenarios, including one involving a detained child, that may be encountered in a custody suite. It will help officers take an individual approach to each detainee to best manage their welfare and minimise risk. In addition, The CoP’s foundation training involves a substantial input regarding detaining and escorting suspects to custody, taking into consideration the vulnerability and risk factors of each suspect.
The Government published the Concordat on Children in Custody in 2017. The Concordat sets out the statutory duties of the police and local authorities and provides a protocol for how transfers from police custody into local authority care should work in practice. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide accommodation for any child charged and denied bail unless it is impractical to do so. The Home Office frequently raises awareness of the Concordat in meetings with policing stakeholders.
Information on the ethnicity of children detained in custody is currently collected using the 2011 Census 18+1 categories, which includes the ‘Gypsy and Irish traveller’ group. From the year ending March 2024 the Home Office has proposed to start collecting ethnicity data from forces using the 2021 Census 19+1 categories, which includes the ‘Roma’ group.
The police custody data collection is currently voluntary and ahead of its publication on 17 November as part of the Police Powers and Procedures bulletin will be assessed for its quality. The Home Office is aware that due to various technical issues, not all forces have been able to provide a full and accurate data set. The Home Office is working with forces and the NPCC to help improve the quality and number of responses received from forces.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to introduce a requirement for police forces to collect data on the number of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children detained in police custody.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Children should only be detained in police custody when absolutely necessary. It is extremely positive that the number of children in police custody has decreased significantly over the last 10 years. However, sometimes it is operationally necessary to detain children in order to investigate alleged offences, bring offenders to justice and keep people safe. Children are rightly acknowledged as a protected group with specific needs and vulnerabilities and any detention of a child must be lawful, proportionate and carried out in accordance with appropriate safeguards and guidance.
The College of Policing (CoP) Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice provides the framework and guidance for which police custody suites operate. The CoP has developed a one-day immersive training course for custody officers and staff focusing on high-risk scenarios, including one involving a detained child, that may be encountered in a custody suite. It will help officers take an individual approach to each detainee to best manage their welfare and minimise risk. In addition, The CoP’s foundation training involves a substantial input regarding detaining and escorting suspects to custody, taking into consideration the vulnerability and risk factors of each suspect.
The Government published the Concordat on Children in Custody in 2017. The Concordat sets out the statutory duties of the police and local authorities and provides a protocol for how transfers from police custody into local authority care should work in practice. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide accommodation for any child charged and denied bail unless it is impractical to do so. The Home Office frequently raises awareness of the Concordat in meetings with policing stakeholders.
Information on the ethnicity of children detained in custody is currently collected using the 2011 Census 18+1 categories, which includes the ‘Gypsy and Irish traveller’ group. From the year ending March 2024 the Home Office has proposed to start collecting ethnicity data from forces using the 2021 Census 19+1 categories, which includes the ‘Roma’ group.
The police custody data collection is currently voluntary and ahead of its publication on 17 November as part of the Police Powers and Procedures bulletin will be assessed for its quality. The Home Office is aware that due to various technical issues, not all forces have been able to provide a full and accurate data set. The Home Office is working with forces and the NPCC to help improve the quality and number of responses received from forces.
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 he has had with the Independent Custody Visiting Association on ensuring the rights of children in police custody are upheld.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office has provided the Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) funding via grants since the financial year 2003-04. The grant value was £110,000 for the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21, with the grant value increasing to £125,000 for the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The grant was increased due to recognition that the funding amount had been stable for several years with no increase in line with inflation. There is no confirmation yet on funding for ICVA for next year as allocations and budgets for the Home Office for the financial year 2023-24 have not yet been finalised.
Home Office officials have regular liaison with the Independent Custody Visiting Association and other custody stakeholders including the National Appropriate Adult Network, National Police Chiefs’ Council, Police Federation and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. This includes frequent discussion on the rights of children in police custody.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding her Department has provided via grants to the Independent Custody Visiting Association in each financial year since 2019-20 inclusive; and how much her Department plans to provide in financial year 2023-24.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office has provided the Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) funding via grants since the financial year 2003-04. The grant value was £110,000 for the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21, with the grant value increasing to £125,000 for the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The grant was increased due to recognition that the funding amount had been stable for several years with no increase in line with inflation. There is no confirmation yet on funding for ICVA for next year as allocations and budgets for the Home Office for the financial year 2023-24 have not yet been finalised.
Home Office officials have regular liaison with the Independent Custody Visiting Association and other custody stakeholders including the National Appropriate Adult Network, National Police Chiefs’ Council, Police Federation and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. This includes frequent discussion on the rights of children in police custody.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) police forces and (b) local authorities to sign up to the Concordat on Children in Police Custody.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Children should only be detained in police custody when absolutely necessary. It is extremely positive that the number of children in police custody has decreased significantly over the last 10 years. However, sometimes it is operationally necessary to detain children in order to investigate alleged offences, bring offenders to justice and keep people safe. Children are rightly acknowledged as a protected group with specific needs and vulnerabilities and any detention of a child must be lawful, proportionate and carried out in accordance with appropriate safeguards and guidance.
The College of Policing (CoP) Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice provides the framework and guidance for which police custody suites operate. The CoP has developed a one-day immersive training course for custody officers and staff focusing on high-risk scenarios, including one involving a detained child, that may be encountered in a custody suite. It will help officers take an individual approach to each detainee to best manage their welfare and minimise risk. In addition, The CoP’s foundation training involves a substantial input regarding detaining and escorting suspects to custody, taking into consideration the vulnerability and risk factors of each suspect.
The Government published the Concordat on Children in Custody in 2017. The Concordat sets out the statutory duties of the police and local authorities and provides a protocol for how transfers from police custody into local authority care should work in practice. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide accommodation for any child charged and denied bail unless it is impractical to do so. The Home Office frequently raises awareness of the Concordat in meetings with policing stakeholders.
Information on the ethnicity of children detained in custody is currently collected using the 2011 Census 18+1 categories, which includes the ‘Gypsy and Irish traveller’ group. From the year ending March 2024 the Home Office has proposed to start collecting ethnicity data from forces using the 2021 Census 19+1 categories, which includes the ‘Roma’ group.
The police custody data collection is currently voluntary and ahead of its publication on 17 November as part of the Police Powers and Procedures bulletin will be assessed for its quality. The Home Office is aware that due to various technical issues, not all forces have been able to provide a full and accurate data set. The Home Office is working with forces and the NPCC to help improve the quality and number of responses received from forces.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to encourage police forces who have not published data on the number of children detained in police custody ahead of the Police Powers and Procedures statistical data on 17 November 2022 to publish that data in the future.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Children should only be detained in police custody when absolutely necessary. It is extremely positive that the number of children in police custody has decreased significantly over the last 10 years. However, sometimes it is operationally necessary to detain children in order to investigate alleged offences, bring offenders to justice and keep people safe. Children are rightly acknowledged as a protected group with specific needs and vulnerabilities and any detention of a child must be lawful, proportionate and carried out in accordance with appropriate safeguards and guidance.
The College of Policing (CoP) Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice provides the framework and guidance for which police custody suites operate. The CoP has developed a one-day immersive training course for custody officers and staff focusing on high-risk scenarios, including one involving a detained child, that may be encountered in a custody suite. It will help officers take an individual approach to each detainee to best manage their welfare and minimise risk. In addition, The CoP’s foundation training involves a substantial input regarding detaining and escorting suspects to custody, taking into consideration the vulnerability and risk factors of each suspect.
The Government published the Concordat on Children in Custody in 2017. The Concordat sets out the statutory duties of the police and local authorities and provides a protocol for how transfers from police custody into local authority care should work in practice. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide accommodation for any child charged and denied bail unless it is impractical to do so. The Home Office frequently raises awareness of the Concordat in meetings with policing stakeholders.
Information on the ethnicity of children detained in custody is currently collected using the 2011 Census 18+1 categories, which includes the ‘Gypsy and Irish traveller’ group. From the year ending March 2024 the Home Office has proposed to start collecting ethnicity data from forces using the 2021 Census 19+1 categories, which includes the ‘Roma’ group.
The police custody data collection is currently voluntary and ahead of its publication on 17 November as part of the Police Powers and Procedures bulletin will be assessed for its quality. The Home Office is aware that due to various technical issues, not all forces have been able to provide a full and accurate data set. The Home Office is working with forces and the NPCC to help improve the quality and number of responses received from forces.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to publish data on the strip and intimate search of children by police disaggregated by age, ethnicity and gender.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat
Strip search and intimate search are two of the most intrusive powers available to the police. There will be times when its use is necessary, to prevent or detect crime or protect the individual or officers. However, it must be used 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.
For the first time, information on the ethnicity, gender and age of children subjected to strip searches or intimate searches, that have taken place whilst a person is detained in police custody, is being collected by the Home Office.
Data have not been received from all forces, but data that have been collected 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, what proportion of children taken into police custody were detained overnight in each reporting year since 2017.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
For the first time, information on the number of children detained in police custody, and whether they were detained overnight, is being collected by the Home Office.
Data have not been received from all forces, but data that have been collected 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, how many children were detained in police custody in (a) Lewisham East constituency, (b) the London Borough of Lewisham, (c) Greater London and (d) England in each reporting year since 2017.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
For the first time, information on the ethnicity, gender and age of children subjected to strip searches or intimate searches, that have taken place whilst a person is detained in police custody, is being collected by the Home Office.
Data have not been received from all forces, but data that have been collected 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).
These data are collected at Police Force Area level only. Breakdowns by constituency or borough will not be published.