Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to increase the representation of ethnic minorities in leadership roles within law enforcement agencies.

The Government is committed to improving diversity in policing: in a modern, diverse society it is essential to building the trust and confidence of all communities.

This Government’s reforms will allow for faster progress on equality and diversity. We established the College of Policing, which has embarked on a major programme looking at recruitment, retention and progression of black and
minority ethnic officers and has recently published advice on positive action for police forces. We are actively engaging with the College, and forces to ensure this work is taken forward, providing access to key diversity data to
evaluate progress within forces, and publishing workforce diversity data online for the public on police.uk. We have also introduced different routes into the police through the Direct Entry schemes and by supporting the development of
‘Police Now’. These schemes have received a more diverse range of applicants compared to the existing police workforce. For example, the ‘Police Now’ scheme received 1,248 applications, of which 48% were from women, and 19% from
people of black or ethnic minority backgrounds. This is in contrast to the current representation levels in the Metropolitan Police, where only 11% of police officers are from an ethnic minority background and 25% are women.

We have also established Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) with responsibility for the totality of policing in their areas, including ensuring that community needs are met, and that forces secure the trust and confidence
of the public. Decisions on when and how to recruit individuals are for the chief officer of a police force.

We welcome the launch of the Gypsy, Roma Traveller Police Association this year, whose aims include fostering better relations between the police and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. This shows that policing takes equality
and diversity seriously and is taking steps to address issues that matter to all communities.