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2,107 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPlatinum Jubilee: Licensing Hours ExtensionThe Government have consulted on and will be proceeding with the proposal to make a Licensing Hours Order under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 to relax licensing hours in…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlI completely agree with the hon. Gentleman. He is quite right that we should expect and work for the highest possible standards. This young person, Child Q, has been through a…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlAs I outlined earlier, there are already two inquiries into the culture of the Metropolitan police in all its aspects—by Dame Louise Casey, who I know will do a thorough job, and…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlOf course I understand the anger and concern across the country, and I share it. As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jackie Doyle-Price), it could have been any…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlI understand the hon. Lady’s anger at this incident; I really do. It is a dreadful incident, and I would much rather not be standing here having to answer these kinds of…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlObviously I have not spoken to every other police chief in the country, since the report came out just a few days ago. As I say, we will eagerly await the IOPC report to establish…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlI completely agree with the hon. Lady that there are implications for safeguarding, and I know but will reassure myself that my ministerial colleagues at the Department for…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlIn my view, the vast majority of interactions between the Metropolitan police and members of the black community go well and are of benefit. There are, however, many—too many—that…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlAs I said, we do take the issue extremely seriously. The matter of strip-search in particular, and the disparity in strip-search, has been of concern for some time. That is why we…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlIf a strip-search is deemed necessary to be undertaken on a child, then an appropriate adult, whether a parent or otherwise, has to be present. [ Interruption. ] Indeed, they were…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlWe obviously take this matter extremely seriously. The hon. Lady is right that the report made recommendations to the Government, not least on strengthening and revising code C of…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlOf course we are concerned about the time it takes for complaints to be dealt with, which is why we changed the IOPC regulations at the end of 2019 to compel speedy…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlThat is one of the questions the investigations will answer. It is my understanding that this issue was referred to the IOPC by the Metropolitan police from a policing point of…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlI refute the hon. Lady’s claim that the Metropolitan police victimises young black people on a daily basis. I have spent many hours with it over the years watching men and women…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlI refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave earlier, and we will know these things when the IOPC concludes, which I hope it will shortly.21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlI think that is grossly unfair when the hon. Lady knows that I am bound by due process not to comment on an ongoing investigation by the IOPC. When that investigation is concluded…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlThose are conclusions, I am afraid, for the IOPC. Much as I know the House would love me to do so, I cannot circumvent that quasi-judicial process. The IOPC is independent for a…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlAs I have already said, there is a process under way through the IOPC. That process will, I hope, conclude shortly and the IOPC will bring us the evidence of the report. It is an…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlAs I said earlier, we await the outcome of the investigation, and we will learn whatever lessons need to be learnt from it. While my hon. Friend the Minister for Equalities said…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlThe City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership report into the strip-search of a 15-year-old schoolgirl while at school by police officers in 2020 is both troubling and…21 Mar 2022