Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address inequality in the treatment of black people by the police.

The strength of policing in England & Wales lies in its relationships with the communities it serves. The measures being introduced by this Government to support officers, broaden representation and enhance accountability will help the police make these relationships even stronger.

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. The public rightly expect police officers to meet high standards of professional conduct and the vast majority of officers do so.

We know that black people, particularly black men, are over-represented in the criminal justice system, and this Government is tackling the broader structural inequalities that lead to this.