Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure police training is updated so that victims of disability hate crime are appropriately supported.

We have committed to ensuring parity of protection for disabled and LGBT+ people under the aggravated offences and will implement this change in an appropriate legislative vehicle in due course.

The College of Policing is responsible for police training in England and Wales and publishes operational guidance for police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including hate crimes. The College of Policing keeps its APP is under review.

The Government funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime. The Hub provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these offences.