Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Hate Crime

Wednesday 26 October 2022 · 4 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 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister welcomed the increase in reported hate crimes, attributing it mainly to better police recording practices.
  • Minister committed to ensuring the best response to hate crimes, mentioning an online hate crime hub for victims to report and receive support.
  • Consultation on public sexual harassment has been completed, and the Minister is reviewing it, showing interest in Nottinghamshire's pilot on recording misogyny as a hate crime.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The question addresses trends in police-reported hate crimes targeting individuals based on race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and transgender identity.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of trends in the levels of police-recorded hate crimes targeting individuals on the basis of their (a) race, (b) religion, (c) sexual orientation, (d) disability and (e) transgender identity?

Answer from Mims Davies

I greatly welcome the fact that people feel more willing to report hate crime. We have seen an increase of 26% in recorded incidents and believe that the biggest driver of it is the welcome improvement in police recording. Let me be clear: hate crime is a scourge on communities and will not be tolerated, which is why we are committed to reducing all crime, including hate incidents, and are on track to recruit 20,000 extra police officers.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The exact trends in hate crimes targeting specific groups were not provided

How: We Are Committed To Reducing Hate Crime

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Q2 Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

A constituent faced racial and physical assault, yet the case was downgraded to a phone damage charge. This highlights issues with how Warwickshire police supports victims post-crime.

Question

Locally, in recent inspections, criticism was made of the way Warwickshire police supports hate crime victims. A constituent experienced both racial and physical assaults but received inadequate support. Can the Minister advise on her meetings with Home Office colleagues? What is being done to halt rising violent crime?

Answer from Mims Davies

As I hope the hon. Gentleman will see, I am personally committed to ensuring the best possible response to these terrible crimes and, indeed, to all crimes. There is an online hate crime hub, True Vision, which police can now directly work with; victims of online hate can submit reports and get support.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The frequency of meetings and specific actions against rising violent crime were not addressed

How: I Am Personally Committed To

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Q3 Caroline Nokes Con Romsey and Southampton North
Women & Equalities
Context

Nottinghamshire police is piloting the recording of misogyny as a hate crime. This raises questions about government support for this approach.

Question

Will the Minister update us on how Nottinghamshire's pilot to record misogyny as a hate crime is progressing? What progress has been made in tackling public sexual harassment?

Answer from Mims Davies

My right hon. Friend will be pleased to know that I am very interested in both those issues. The consultation on public sexual harassment has been completed, and I am currently looking at it. On misogyny as a hate crime, I am aware of the Nottinghamshire police work. It is absolutely right that a number of police forces are choosing of their own volition to record those particular crimes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific updates on both issues were not fully provided

How: I Am Very Interested

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Q4 Anneliese Dodds Labour (Co-op) Oxford East
Crime & Law Enforcement Community Security
Context

Violent hate crime has increased sixfold over a decade, and religiously motivated incidents are at an all-time high.

Question

A moment ago, the Minister mentioned statistics on hate crime but not those showing that violent hate crime is six times higher than it was 10 years ago. What are the Government going to do about this?

Answer from Mims Davies

The hon. Lady knows that we have some of the strongest legislation to tackle everything mentioned, including religious hate crime. Over the past six years, 323 grants totalling around £8 million have been awarded under the places of worship protective security funding scheme regarding religious hate crime.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions against violent hate crimes were not detailed

How: We Have Some Of The Strongest Legislation

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