Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that policing activity does not (a) directly and (b) indirectly discriminate against BAME people in the UK.

The public rightly expect police officers to meet high standards of professional conduct and the vast majority of officers do. In this country, the power of the police to fulfil their duties is wholly dependent on public approval of their existence, actions and behaviour and on their ability to secure and maintain this public respect.

We have put in place measures to ensure that policing is subject to appropriate levels of transparency and accountability – with regular inspections of the way forces engage with communities, frequent publication of data on use of police powers and strengthening the police complaints system. If an officer does commit a serious breach of the standards expected of them, disciplinary proceedings and, if appropriate, criminal proceedings should follow.