Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Youth Justice: Racial Disparity

Tuesday 8 December 2020 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Lammy review recommendations have seen completion of 16 out of 24 recommendations.
  • The Government aims to complete 11 of the remaining 17 recommendations within six to 12 months.
  • The number of children receiving a caution or sentence has fallen by 83% over the last decade.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Wes Streeting Lab Ilford North
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

Since the Lammy review was published in September 2017, there have been concerns about racial disparities in the UK's youth justice system.

Question

What progress has been made on tackling racial disparity in the youth justice system since the publication of the Lammy review in September 2017?

Answer from Robert Buckland

We have taken important action across the review recommendations. For the three recommendations specific to youth, we have promoted parental and community involvement in referral order panels and evaluated an update of the Youth Justice Board's ethnic disproportionality toolkit. Beyond that, we have now ended automatic disclosure of youth cautions on criminal records. We have put equalities plans in all young offenders institutions and are piloting the Chance to Change alternative to charge.

Answered
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Q2 Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South
Justice & Courts
Context

Fewer than half of the recommendations from the Lammy review have been enacted, and many other reviews into deaths in custody still remain outstanding.

Question

With fewer than half of the Lammy review's recommendations having been enacted and with many others from many other reviews into deaths in custody still outstanding, what can the Secretary of State do to assure black, Asian and minority ethnic communities that the Government are not just dragging their feet on racial disparity in the justice system?

Answer from Robert Buckland

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that that is far from the case. Indeed, 16 recommendations have been completed. There are two recommendations that we did not take up, but of the 17 that are still in progress, we aim to complete 11 within six to 12 months. I am being told that the further six will take slightly longer.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not address the concern about dragging feet and provides only a partial commitment on timeline for recommendations.

How: Under Review

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Q3 Sarah Owen Lab Luton North
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

The Lammy review highlighted racial inequality and unfairness throughout the UK's justice system. Notably, there are zero Supreme Court judges from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background.

Question

The Lammy review was published in 2017 and it said that racial inequality and unfairness runs rife throughout our country's justice system. At that time, zero Supreme Court judges were black. That number is still zero. In fact, not a single Supreme Court judge is from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background. Why does the Secretary of State think that is and what are his Government doing to change it?

Answer from Robert Buckland

Like the hon. Lady, I want to see far more people from a diverse and BAME background in the senior judiciary. The truth is that the senior judiciary is often a product of the supply into the legal professions some 20 or more years ago, when we know things were not as promising when it comes to diversity as they are now at the Bar, in solicitors' practices, or for legal executives and Government lawyers.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not address what specific actions will be taken to increase BAME representation.

How: Historical Context

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Q4 Wes Streeting Lab Ilford North
Justice & Courts
Context

There are zero BAME staff working for the Youth Justice Board outside London, which raises concerns about diversity and representation.

Question

In a 2020 update on progress against the Lammy review, the Secretary of State said: 'It is crucial, if everyone is to have confidence in our system, that the people working in it reflect the diversity of Britain today.' Yet in written answers to my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Peter Kyle), the Ministry of Justice confirms that there are zero BAME staff working for the Youth Justice Board outside London. What is the Secretary of State going to do to make sure the system reflects the communities those people are serving?

Answer from Robert Buckland

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. I know the new chair of the Youth Justice Board, Keith Fraser, will be particularly concerned about that figure. I reassure the hon. Gentleman that in many other areas we are seeing BAME representation higher than the national average.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not specify any concrete steps to address the issue of zero BAME staff outside London.

How: General Acknowledgment

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Q5 Peter Kyle Lab Hove and Portslade
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

The proportion of black and minority ethnic young people subject to the use of force in youth prisons has increased since the Lammy review.

Question

In 2016, 22% of kids sentenced were black and minority ethnic. Now, it is 27%. Some 41% of youth prisoners were black and minority ethnic. Now, it is over half. The proportion of black and minority ethnic young people subject to the use of force in youth prisons has gone up from 41% to 48% since the Lammy review. This Government have been in power for 10 years. It has been two years since the Lammy review. It is not that not enough progress has been made; things are going backwards. Why should anybody have faith that this lot can sort it out?

Answer from Robert Buckland

With respect to the hon. Gentleman, he is just wrong about that—totally wrong. In the last 10 years, there has been a fall of 83% in the number of children receiving a caution or a sentence, and last year there was a fall of 19%. That means in actual numbers of lives and families, the number of children and BAME children affected is reducing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer disputes the premise but does not address specific concerns about worsening racial disparities.

How: Dispute Statistics

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