Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Thérèse Coffey Excerpts
Monday 21st May 2012

(11 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Herbert of South Downs Portrait The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Nick Herbert)
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The hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that we are not going to speculate about a future spending review. He might have pointed out that the latest figures show that recorded crime in the west midlands has fallen by 7% overall, and he might have congratulated the chief constable on that achievement, despite the fact that, like every other chief constable, he is having to make savings.

Thérèse Coffey Portrait Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)
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T6. I, like many other MPs, was horrified and disappointed to receive an e-mail today from the Police Federation implying that Tom Winsor was effectively discriminating against black and minority ethnic applicants to the police. Instead of trying to smear Tom Winsor as a racist, would it not be better for the Police Federation to look at how to increase the number of successful BME applicants?

Lord Herbert of South Downs Portrait Nick Herbert
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I share my hon. Friend’s view about the e-mail that the Police Federation sent this morning, which included the absurd claim that British policing will be transformed into some kind of paramilitary model, which is palpable nonsense. Tom Winsor’s independent report included an equality statement and the Home Secretary specifically asked the negotiating bodies to consider the impact of his proposals on equality and diversity.