Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Hate Crime

Monday 9 November 2020 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Mary Foy raised concerns about the increase in recorded hate crimes since 2013 and the impact of political rhetoric.
  • The Home Secretary's statements about Travellers were mentioned, with the Minister responding by emphasizing the need to work together to tackle hate crimes.
  • The Minister highlighted the Government's hate crime action plan and investments in schemes like the places of worship scheme to address hate crime.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mary Foy Lab City of Durham
Crime & Law Enforcement Community Security
Context

The question was prompted by the rise in reported hate crimes and the concern that political rhetoric may exacerbate this issue.

Question

I am concerned about the recent increase in recorded hate crime. Reported hate crimes have more than doubled since 2013, and it is a well-established fact that these crimes often spike with an increase in political rhetoric. When the Home Secretary brands Travellers as criminal and violent, and reportedly explored options to house asylum seekers on Ascension Island, what responsibility do the Government take for these increases?

Answer from Victoria Atkins

I welcome any call from Labour Members with regard to working together to tackle these dreadful, dreadful crimes, but I again draw the hon. Lady back to the fact that the reports that people make to the crime survey show that there is not the same increase that we are seeing in police recorded crime. The importance of police recorded crime is that it suggests very strongly, first, that the public are recognising when they are victims of the crime, but also that the police are recording it better.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific responsibility for the increase in hate crimes was not directly addressed.

How: Drawing Back To Crime Survey Data, Emphasizing Police Recording Improvements

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Q2 Mary Foy Lab City of Durham
Asylum & Refugees Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The question was prompted by the Home Secretary branding Travellers as criminal and violent, potentially influencing hate crime statistics.

Question

When the Home Secretary brands Travellers as criminal and violent, and reportedly explored options to house asylum seekers on Ascension Island, what responsibility do the Government take for these increases, and does the Minister agree that it is time for our own lowering of the temperature?

Answer from Victoria Atkins

I welcome any call from Labour Members with regard to working together to tackle these dreadful, dreadful crimes. I draw the hon. Lady back to the fact that the reports that people make to the crime survey show that there is not the same increase that we are seeing in police recorded crime.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific responsibility for the government's role in hate crimes was avoided.

How: Drawing Back To Crime Survey Data

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Q3 Bambos Charalambous Lab Southgate and Wood Green
Crime & Law Enforcement Community Security
Context

The question was prompted by the Tell MAMA campaign's recognition that Black Lives Matter campaigners are targeted by far-right groups, leading to an increase in hate crimes.

Question

Tell MAMA is running its 'No2H8' campaign this month. The Home Office has acknowledged that this year's rise in hate crimes is partly driven by far-right groups targeting Black Lives Matter campaigners. Will the Minister tell me what the Government are doing to support groups that they have been recognised as victims of an increase in hate crime?

Answer from Victoria Atkins

We published the hate crime action plan in 2016 and refreshed it in 2018, and we have seen significant improvements. We are also investing through schemes such as the places of worship scheme, which can have a real impact on local communities affected by hate crime.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific support measures for Black Lives Matter campaigners were not detailed.

How: Emphasizing General Improvements And Investments

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