Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Metropolitan Police Service about (1) the number, and (2) the percentage, of police officers recruited since 1 January, who are (a) female, and (b) BAME.

Our unprecedented drive to recruit 20,000 extra police officers over the next three years provides a generational opportunity to increase diversity in policing.

We are working closely with police forces across the country, including the Metropolitan Police Service, to support all forces become more representative of the communities they serve. This has included an inclusive national campaign and improvements to national data collection on police diversity and recruitment, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

The Home Secretary has been clear that all forces must do more to increase diversity and in August wrote to all Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners urging them to take the opportunity presented by the Police Uplift to increase diversity.