Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the increasing number of Black, Asian and ethnic minority people in the criminal justice system.

This government is committed to tackling inequality and all forms of discrimination. No one should face discrimination, which is why we welcomed David Lammy’s 2017 review which shone a necessary light on disparity in the treatment of Black, Asian and ethnic minority individuals in the criminal justice system. The actions the Government committed to undertake in response to the 35 recommendations made in the Lammy Review have either been completed or reasonably require an extended timeframe. The range of our current work is now broader than the agenda set out by the Review. I have been working with the Home Office and Cabinet Office on the establishment of the Independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities in addition to the focus my department is bringing to HM Prison and Probation, and the work of the Youth Justice Board with young people. A cross-governmental approach with the Criminal Justice Board also allows us to work with senior officials to assist in generating cross-system impetus to drive forward the race agenda. We are also aware that the Independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities is looking into issues pertaining to this area.