Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

David Lammy Excerpts
Monday 19th March 2012

(12 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Lammy Portrait Mr David Lammy (Tottenham) (Lab)
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The Home Secretary will recall that, following the riots last summer, there was widespread concern about the absence of policing, the police being outfoxed by technology, particularly BlackBerry Messenger, and an absence of intelligence. Following the Kirkin report, what will change, this summer and next?

Theresa May Portrait Mrs May
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I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for raising an important point about the policing of the riots last summer. Following the riots, I brought together representatives of the Metropolitan police, the Association of Chief Police Officers, BlackBerry, Twitter and Facebook to look at the use of social media and social networks during the riots. Further discussions are taking place between ACPO, the individual forces and those organisations to ensure that the police are in a better position to deal with the wealth of information that becomes available on those social networks.