Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had on drafting best practice guidelines on the presence of campaigning charities during police searches and arrests.

An important component of the Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme is the introduction of lay observation. The Scheme’s guidance makes it clear that forces have discretion to determine the most appropriate arrangements to support this. This allows the public, including interested organisations, to observe stop and search in action.