The Macpherson Report: twenty-two years on

Home Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 5 Jun 2020 Closed: 31 Jan 2024 Parliament page
The Home Affairs Committee has confirmed its intention to complete its predecessors’ work on The Macpherson Report: twenty years on , and will take new evidence on policing and race including on concerns raised about the policing of the Covid-19 lockdown and reported disproportionality in fines and investigations of individuals … Read more
25 Recommendations
77 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
5 Letters
2 Events
Activity timeline 11 events
1 Jul
2022
Correspondence
26 May
2022
Report published
27 Apr
2022
Correspondence
23 Mar
2022
Correspondence
23 Mar
2022
Correspondence
30 Jul
2021
Report published
22 Jul
2020
Oral evidence
22 Jul
2020
Correspondence
22 Jul
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
17 Jun
2020
Oral evidence
17 Jun
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
22 Jul 2020
View on parliament.uk
Bishop Derek Webley · Windrush Cross-Government Working Group Inspector Dan Popple · West Midlands Police Pastor Lorraine Jones · Dwayne Simpson Foundation CIC PC Adam Ahmed Sayce Holmes-Lewis · Mentivity
17 Jun 2020
View on parliament.uk
Katrina Ffrench · StopWatch Mirren Gidda · Liberty Investigates Nick Glynn · Open Society Foundations Professor Ben Bowling · Kings College London Rosalind Comyn · Liberty
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on HC 139 30 Jul 2021 102 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
102 results
1 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report was groundbreaking, prompting significant legal and policing reforms.
The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, led by the late Sir William Macpherson, was truly ground-breaking when its report was published twenty-two years ago. It led to major changes in the law, in policing, in the response to institutional racism and the … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of public trust and confidence in policing, noting that the Home Office and policing partners already monitor various data broken down by ethnicity and that the National Policing Board prioritises being trusted by the public.
Home Office
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2 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Stagnation in achieving Stephen Lawrence Inquiry aims regarding policing fairness remains concerning.
Many of the findings and subsequent 70 recommendations made by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry focused on longstanding issues which remain as relevant today, in particular, the overall aim set by the late Sir William Macpherson of “the elimination of racist … Read more
Government Response
The government asserts its commitment to tackling hate crime by referencing its 2016 Hate Crime Action Plan (refreshed 2018) and communications campaigns, which aimed to improve police response and public understanding of hate crime.
Home Office
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3 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Assessment of Macpherson report recommendations reveals urgent challenges in policing progress
Our inquiry does not attempt to replicate the work of the forensic judge-led Stephen Lawrence Inquiry twenty-two years on, nor to replicate the many other wider reports about racism and race equality since then. But we have assessed progress against … Read more
Government Response
The Ministry of Justice has developed guidance for commissioners to support ethnic minority victims, focusing on improving service effectiveness and engagement, while the Home Office is exploring ways to understand the experiences of victims from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Home Office
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4 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Confidence in police significantly declining among Black and Mixed ethnicity communities
Evidence to our inquiry shows that there is a significant problem with confidence in the police within Black communities. We were very concerned to see that confidence in the police among Black people has fallen in recent years and the … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights its ongoing Police Uplift Programme, which aims to increase police representation from diverse communities through national campaigns, attraction and recruitment strategies, and enhanced data capture to address issues related to community confidence.
Home Office
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5 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Black communities, particularly youth, expect less fair and respectful treatment from police
Fairness, respect and impartiality are core values that should be fundamental to policing. So the fact that Black people, and especially Black Caribbean people, have much lower expectations than White people that they will be treated fairly and with respect … Read more
Government Response
The government states that police forces are using positive action provisions from the Equality Act 2010 to increase representation, with updated guidance from the College and new guidance in development as part of 'Inclusive Britain,' alongside Police Uplift Programme investment in diverse recruitment.
Home Office
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6 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Significant confidence and fairness gap for Black communities persists for over two decades
Overall the majority of people from all communities still report confidence in their local police. However, there is no getting away from the significant confidence and fairness gap for Black communities. The fact that this persists twenty-two years after the … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines existing governance mechanisms, such as the National Policing Board and the Police Uplift Programme Board, which are tasked with strategic oversight and ensuring progress on diversity within policing to address issues of confidence and fairness.
Home Office
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7 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police forces and Home Office failing to collect local ethnic confidence data or plan effectively
Given the seriousness of the issue we are particularly alarmed by the failure of police forces and the Home Office to have proper plans in place to address the confidence gap, or even to be gathering the basic evidence and … Read more
Government Response
The government's response discusses progress in handling complaints and conduct, and the importance of granular data on disproportionality, but it does not address the committee's specific concern about the failure to gather local force-level confidence data by ethnicity.
Home Office
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8 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Increasing Black community trust in policing not considered a Ministerial or policing priority
The Macpherson report in its first recommendation called for a Ministerial Priority for all police services to “increase trust and confidence in policing amongst minority ethnic communities”. For the Macpherson report, the setting of a “Ministerial Priority” had a particular … Read more
Government Response
The government provides statistics on ethnic minority representation in Professional Standards Departments and states the NPCC is working to improve this, but the response does not address the committee's central point about the failure to treat increasing trust and confidence as a Ministerial priority or the lack of local confidence data collection.
Home Office
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9 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Practical action, including regular publication of confidence data, urgently needed from policing bodies
Practical action is needed. The Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council must ensure that confidence data is gathered and regularly published for all forces so that their communities and Police and Crime Commissioners can hold them to account, with … Read more
Government Response
The government's response focuses on the benefits and monitoring of stop and search powers, detailing piloted data collection for s.163 Road Traffic Act powers and a commitment to consider various stop and search metrics. It does not address the recommendation to gather and regularly publish public confidence data for all forces.
Home Office
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10 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Require police forces to establish local plans to improve BME confidence, monitored by HMICFRS
Police forces in England and Wales should set out clear local plans to improve confidence informed by local confidence data. They should state what measurable actions they are taking a) to increase the confidence of BME communities and b) to … Read more
Government Response
The government details improved stop and search data collection and a commitment to use data to challenge disparities. It also highlights the importance of internal and external body-worn video reviews to build confidence, but does not commit to police forces setting out local plans to improve BME community confidence or to HMICFRS monitoring these efforts.
Home Office
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11 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Mandate Home Office and National Policing Board to monitor confidence gap and report annual actions
The Home Office and the National Policing Board should monitor the confidence gap in each force and should set out each year what action is being taken nationally to ensure that confidence among BME communities increases in order to restore … Read more
Government Response
The government extensively discusses the use of Body Worn Video (BWV) to improve accountability and transparency, outlining efforts to improve guidance, facilitate footage sharing with scrutiny panels, and enhance officer communication training. However, the response does not address the recommendation for the Home Office and National Policing Board to monitor the confidence gap or set out annual national actions for BME communities.
Home Office
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12 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Macpherson report prompted transformative and sustained progress in police handling of racist crimes
The Macpherson report brought about a transformation in the way police recognise racist incidents and deal with racist crimes, and we found a strong commitment from senior police officers to maintain the progress that had been made. This seismic change … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of police officer training for legitimate power use and welcomed improvements in police interactions. It then raises its own concern that neither the NPCC nor Home Office have published further analysis of racial disparity in COVID-19 Fixed Penalty Notices and states they should continue to monitor this data.
Home Office
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13 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police response to hate crime victims inconsistent, lacking respect and satisfaction with investigations.
However, we are concerned about the variability in police force responses at a local level: the commitment to tackling hate crime needs to be universal and consistent across the police service. We are also very concerned that the victims of … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges concerns about disproportionality in COVID-19 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and notes ongoing data publication and an independent analysis commissioned by the NPCC. It commits to improving diversity and community relations but does not address the specific recommendation for clear action to properly support victims of racist crimes.
Home Office
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14 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police lack adequate data and information to effectively address hate crimes and victim confidence.
We are concerned that the police once again lack the information and data they need to address these issues properly. More public information is needed on race hate crimes, the impact on different communities and the experiences of victims. The … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines its support for police technology and the role of the Chief Scientific Advisor, emphasizing training programs that involve local communities and address racial disparities within institutions. However, it does not commit to commissioning research on confidence among hate crime victims or improving the recording and breakdown of hate crime data by ethnicity as recommended.
Home Office
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15 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Disaggregate race hate crime data by ethnicity for publication in Home Office statistics.
The Government’s disaggregation of religious hate crimes for different religions is welcome, as this provides valuable detail and insight. We believe that race hate crimes should be similarly disaggregated, so as to understand the breakdown of offences by ethnicity. Other … Read more
Government Response
The government discusses the College of Policing's role in developing quality training for officers on community engagement, diversity, and the appropriate use of powers. It then outlines the responsibilities of a proposed independent Commissioner, but neither aspect addresses the specific recommendation to disaggregate race hate crime data by ethnicity for publication.
Home Office
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16 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Race hate crime remains a significant societal problem despite increased reporting and awareness.
The drop in racist incidents and crimes in the crime survey, and the increase in crimes that are reported to the police, is welcome and suggests that there is both an increased awareness of hate crime and increased confidence in … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the ongoing need to tackle racism in policing and describes existing strong governance structures, including the National Policing Board and PCCs, designed to ensure transparency and accountability. It rejects the necessity of a new Commissioner, asserting that current oversight mechanisms are sufficient to improve community confidence and address disparities.
Home Office
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17 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police lack digital capacity, training, and systems to tackle rising online racist crimes effectively.
Our greatest concern going forward is that the Government and police forces are being left behind by the rise of online racism and racist crimes as the rise of social media means patterns of race hate crime are changing. Currently … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledged its commitment to tackling hate crime and outlined existing measures, including the Hate Crime Action Plan, public awareness campaigns, the True Vision online reporting portal, and Operation Modify, a digital skills training program for police.
Home Office
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18 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Social media companies' progress in tackling online racist crime and abuse remains too slow.
Social media companies and platforms need to do far more to tackle online racist crime, incitement and abuse. The Committee has been raising these issues with the major social media companies for four years and, while some changes have been … Read more
Government Response
The government's response did not directly address the committee's call for social media companies to do more to tackle online racist crime, focusing instead on existing government and police initiatives against hate crime.
Home Office
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19 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
More action needed regarding the policing response to online safety issues.
We welcome the Government legislating for online safety and we continue to consider these issues separately from this report. But we are concerned that much more also needs to be done around the policing response.
Government Response
The government acknowledged its commitment to tackling hate crime and listed existing measures to improve the police response and public awareness, such as the Hate Crime Action Plan, awareness campaigns, the True Vision portal, and Operation Modify training for police.
Home Office
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20 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Home Office and NPCC need new strategy for policing online hate crime.
Alongside the legislative and regulatory proposals that the Government is developing for social media companies, the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council should draw up a new strategy for policing hate crime online including identifying the skills, training and … Read more
Government Response
The government did not commit to drawing up a new strategy for policing online hate crime. Instead, the response detailed existing measures such as the Hate Crime Action Plan, the True Vision reporting portal, and Operation Modify for digital skills training among police.
Home Office
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21 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Online racist hate crimes and extremism require serious, collaborative action from all stakeholders.
We agree with Neil Basu that the links between hateful content online, radicalisation and extremism as well as the devastating impact online hate crimes can have on individuals mean that it needs to be taken extremely seriously. There is a … Read more
Government Response
The government affirmed its commitment to tackling hate crime and hateful extremism online, reiterating existing measures such as the Hate Crime Action Plan, awareness campaigns, the True Vision portal, and Operation Modify training for police.
Home Office
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22 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
BME victims of crime often feel treated as suspects, requiring research and support plan.
The increased support for all victims of crime and the work of Family Liaison Officers as a result of the Macpherson report are important wider legacies of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. However, we are extremely concerned that, twenty- two years … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights existing Ministry of Justice guidance for commissioners on supporting ethnic minority victims and states the Home Office is exploring ways to better understand victims' experiences and will continue to engage with the Victims Commissioner.
Home Office
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23 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police service remains unrepresentative of diverse communities two decades after Macpherson Report.
In 2020 BME officers represented just 7% of the police service across England and Wales, far below the 14% of the population in England and Wales who are BME. The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on 179 It is extremely disappointing … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need for representative police forces and details ongoing work through the Police Uplift Programme to diversify recruitment, including national campaigns, sharing best practices, and improved data collection.
Home Office
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24 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police forces show insufficient progress in BME recruitment, retention, and senior representation.
What is equally shocking is that so little changed in terms of BME recruitment and retention in the decade following our predecessors’ last inquiry on the Macpherson report. While there has been progress in BME recruitment by some forces in … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of representative police forces and outlines current efforts through the Police Uplift Programme to improve recruitment, retention, and progression of BME officers, including targeted attraction strategies and enhanced data collection.
Home Office
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25 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Lack of BME police officers undermines legitimacy and Peel principles of policing.
The Macpherson report was clear that police forces need to be representative of the communities they serve. Throughout our inquiry we have heard concerns about community confidence in the police, the use of certain police powers and wider racism in … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterates that police forces should be representative of their communities and highlights the ongoing Police Uplift Programme, detailing its strategies for diversifying recruitment and improving understanding through better data.
Home Office
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26 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police forces demonstrate decades of inadequate focus and leadership on BME recruitment and promotion.
Despite commitments made over many years police forces across the country have failed to do enough to increase BME recruitment, retention and promotion for decades. There has been a lack of focus, consistency and leadership in driving BME recruitment and … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the challenge of achieving a diverse police service and details the current efforts of the Police Uplift Programme, which aims to improve BME recruitment, retention, and progression through various strategies.
Home Office
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27 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Current progress rates indicate decades until police forces are properly representative.
Our analysis suggests that, on the current rate of progress, we will not have properly representative police forces in England and Wales for another twenty years. That would be four decades after the Macpherson report raised the seriousness of this … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need for representative police forces and describes the ongoing Police Uplift Programme, emphasizing its role in diversifying recruitment and improving data collection to understand retention.
Home Office
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28 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police uplift presents vital but urgent opportunity to increase BME representation across forces.
The Government has committed to the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers by 31 March 2023. We agree with the Home Secretary that the uplift must be used to make immediate and significant progress in tackling the persistent under- … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the opportunity presented by the Police Uplift Programme to improve BME representation and details various ongoing strategies within this programme, such as targeted recruitment campaigns and data collection, to achieve this.
Home Office
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29 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Existing diversity initiatives lack consistent implementation and sufficient focus on BME recruitment.
Much stronger national action is needed. We recognise the various equality and diversity initiatives that have been undertaken by different policing bodies but in practice they have not delivered sufficient focus or progress on BME recruitment or tackling race inequality … Read more
Government Response
The government responds by detailing the existing Police Uplift Programme, which it states is a comprehensive programme working with all 43 forces to deliver recruitment and retention strategies for a more diverse service, rather than committing to a new framework.
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30 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Agree minimum BME officer recruitment targets with constabularies to achieve 14% nationally by 2030.
We recommend that the Government agrees minimum targets for the recruitment of BME officers with each constabulary reflecting the respective composition of its local population, in order to achieve at least 14% of officers nationally by 2030. These should include … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need for representative police forces and details existing initiatives under the Police Uplift Programme, but does not commit to agreeing specific minimum targets for BME recruitment or a new national strategy with timelines and remedial measures.
Home Office
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31 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Set clear, measurable race equality objectives for police forces, with annual performance reporting.
The Home Secretary must also set clear, measurable race equality objectives for individual police forces in relation to ethnic diversity, retention and progression, performance against which should be reported annually.
Government Response
The government highlights the ongoing Police Uplift Programme as its approach to increasing diversity and improving understanding of retention, but does not commit to the Home Secretary setting clear, measurable race equality objectives for individual police forces with annual reporting.
Home Office
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32 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Some forces show good BME recruitment commitments, but others lack ambition.
It is welcome that forces such as the West Midlands and Leicestershire have already made clear commitments both on immediate recruitment levels and the overall proportion of BME officers in the force over time. Other forces need to be more … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of diversity and details current comprehensive work through the Police Uplift Programme, including attraction campaigns, sharing best practice, and improved data collection to support all 43 forces in becoming more representative.
Home Office
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33 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police forces fail to achieve representative recruitment despite proven best practices.
It is particularly disappointing that the number of forces achieving representative recruitment is not higher since it is clear that forces which have made a focused effort to do so are able to achieve representative recruitment. The recent progress by … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of diversity and states that sharing best practice is already an effort being made through the Police Uplift Programme, which also supports forces with various recruitment strategies and national campaigns targeting diverse audiences.
Home Office
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34 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Require APCC to facilitate shared learning on race equality in police recruitment.
We recommend that the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners works with Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to enable force level comparison, and shared learning from different PCCs’ approaches to addressing race equality in recruitment to the police service. Read more
Government Response
The government response reiterates its general commitment to police diversity through the Police Uplift Programme, which includes sharing best practice among forces, but it does not specifically address the recommendation for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to facilitate force-level comparison and shared learning among PCCs.
Home Office
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35 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Many police forces underutilised positive action provisions for BME recruitment.
All forces must do far more to use the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to develop targeted recruitment campaigns, mentoring and support. Some forces have used those provisions very effectively to increase BME recruitment significantly in a … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterates its commitment to increasing diversity through the Police Uplift Programme, which includes various attraction and recruitment strategies, as well as national campaigns designed to reach diverse audiences and provide targeted communications. However, it does not explicitly commit to ensuring forces do 'far more' to use the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010.
Home Office
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36 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Chief officers should be held accountable for using positive action to achieve recruitment targets.
The evidence from forces which do use a positive action approach demonstrates that forces should be able to achieve their targets using tried and tested positive action measures. Given the success these forces have had, we believe that chief officer … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of representative forces and describes current efforts under the Police Uplift Programme to support forces with recruitment strategies and national campaigns to reach diverse audiences, but does not explicitly commit to requiring chief officer teams to use positive action tools or detailing new accountability measures for their progress.
Home Office
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37 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Clear accountability framework needed for police forces failing on recruitment progress.
Given the enduring nature of this problem a clear framework is needed for holding Chief Constables and police forces to account and ensuring that there is follow up action where forces do not make sufficient progress.
Government Response
The government asserts that a clear framework for accountability already exists through the Home Secretary's National Policing Board, which sets strategic priorities and holds the sector to account, and through Police and Crime Commissioners who ensure local accountability for Chief Constables.
Home Office
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38 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Representative recruitment must be a key legitimacy measure in HMICFRS inspections.
Progress against local targets must be assessed regularly by the Home Secretary, acting through the National Policing Board. We welcome the commitment made by HMICFRS to include recruitment in their inspections on disproportionality. Representative recruitment must be treated as a … Read more
Government Response
The government states that the Home Secretary, through the National Policing Board, already provides strong governance and oversight, holding the sector to account for strategic priorities that include building public trust, implying this encompasses representative recruitment and legitimacy.
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39 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Require Home Secretary to use powers against forces failing representative recruitment targets after two years.
The Home Secretary has powers in legislation to require HMICFRS inspections where there are concerns about force operational performance on particular matters, and to require specified measures in the face of persistent failings. Given the importance of representative recruitment to … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights its existing strong governance and oversight through the Home Secretary's National Policing Board and Police and Crime Commissioners, which collectively ensure accountability for policing priorities, rather than committing to the specific, triggered use of powers for HMICFRS inspections and required measures for forces failing BME recruitment targets.
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40 Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Mandate Home Office to investigate Met Commissioner's proposed Equality Act changes for recruitment.
We believe that most forces should be able to make rapid progress with clear targets and using the positive action provisions in the Equality Act 2010 we have identified. We heard concerns raised by the Metropolitan Police that some of … Read more
Home Office
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41 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Mandate Home Office to investigate proposals broadening Equality Act tie-breaker provisions for recruitment.
The significance of representation for the legitimacy of the police, and for the Peel principle that the police are the public and the public are the police, means that the Home Office must ensure that all forces can make the … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterates its commitment to increasing diversity through the Police Uplift Programme, which involves attraction strategies, national campaigns for diverse audiences, and sharing best practice. However, it does not specifically address the recommendation to examine proposals for broadening positive action provisions or to explicitly affirm to forces that Chief Constables will be held accountable for recruitment progress.
Home Office
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42 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Failure to act risks undermining police legitimacy and missing recruitment opportunity.
Without clear action we fear that in ten years’ time successors to our Committee will hear the very same arguments and evidence about recruitment and retention that have been rehearsed for over twenty years, and the effectiveness and legitimacy of … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the 'once-in-a-generation opportunity' presented by the Police Uplift Programme to improve representation and describes the comprehensive programme of work, including various attraction and recruitment strategies, already being delivered across all forces.
Home Office
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43 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Racial disparity in police officer dismissals and disciplinary processes remains persistent.
There is clear racial disparity in the number of officers being dismissed from police forces—BME officers are more than twice as likely to be dismissed as White officers— and in the number of BME officers and staff being subjected to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the finding of racial disparity in police dismissals and misconduct. It welcomes the NPCC's new Race Action Plan (May 2022) to address this and commits the Home Office to review the police misconduct system in summer 2022 to ensure fairness and uphold integrity.
Home Office
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44 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police forces' inconsistent data collection obscures ethnic disparity in misconduct cases.
It is completely unacceptable that forces’ data on ethnic disparity in police misconduct has been inconsistent and incomplete to the point where it cannot be understood or acted upon. We are appalled that it has not been possible for us … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the NPCC's new Race Action Plan (May 2022), which commits to ensuring misconduct data is published consistently and fully broken down by ethnicity for all forces. The Home Office will also review the police misconduct system in summer 2022.
Home Office
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45 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Progress addressing ethnic disparity in police misconduct requires consistent monitoring and a future audit.
We take some encouragement from the NPCC’s national review into ethnic disparity in police misconduct and the work done by some individual forces to attempt to close the gap. The follow-up work from this review which has been reported to … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the new Race Action Plan (May 2022), which will ensure consistent publication of misconduct data broken down by ethnicity. The Home Office will also review the police misconduct system with NPCC and IOPC, with terms set in summer 2022, to ensure fairness and effectiveness.
Home Office
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46 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Professional Standards Departments lack BME representation and face institutional racism perceptions.
Police forces must act swiftly to address perceptions that Professional Standards Departments are marked by institutionally racist practices. In addition, forces must address unacceptable racial disproportionality in their composition: it is totally unacceptable that 63% of all Professional Standards Departments … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the NPCC and College of Policing's new Race Action Plan, to be published in May 2022, which will address disproportionality in misconduct cases and ensure consistent data publication. The Home Office also commits to reviewing the police misconduct system with the NPCC and IOPC, setting out terms and timelines in summer 2022.
Home Office
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47 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Racial disproportionality in stop and search is worse now than Macpherson found.
Twenty-two years on from the publication of the Macpherson report there remains a serious problem with racial disproportionality in stop and search. Black people are over nine and a half times more likely to be stopped and searched than White … Read more
Government Response
The government defends the use of stop and search, acknowledging the importance of fair use and proper monitoring. It commits to improving accountability and transparency for perceived disproportionality through s.163 data collection pilots and considering new metrics for stop and search rates.
Home Office
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48 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Unexplained racial disparities in stop and search damage BME community confidence in policing.
Stop and search is an important police power and the Macpherson report’s conclusion that it has a useful role to play in the prevention and detection of crime still applies. However the nature of the unexplained and unjustified racial disparities, … Read more
Government Response
The government supports stop and search, highlighting its effectiveness, but acknowledges the need for better accountability and transparency. They are considering a range of metrics and deferring a decision on s.163 data collection pending pilot findings and consultation.
Home Office
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49 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
No adequate justification exists for racial disproportionality in stop and search, especially for drugs.
No evidence to this inquiry has adequately explained or justified the nature and scale of the disproportionality in the use of stop and search powers. This is especially the case for searches for the possession of drugs where evidence shows … Read more
Government Response
The government defends the use of stop and search, acknowledges the importance of fair use and monitoring for perceived disproportionality, and commits to piloting s.163 Road Traffic Act data collection and considering a range of metrics for stop and search rates.
Home Office
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50 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Knife crime concerns fail to explain widespread racial disparities in stop and search.
We recognise the importance of the police being able to take action against knife crime, and their concern that victims and perpetrators of knife crime are disproportionately Black, but we also note that this does not explain the fact that … Read more
Government Response
The government defends the use of stop and search for tackling serious violence and highlights the importance of fair use and monitoring. However, it does not address the committee's specific finding that knife crime does not explain widespread racial disparities in stop and search.
Home Office
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51 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Stop and search encounters are often alienating, lacking respect and de-escalation for individuals.
The manner in which police forces conduct stop and search is particularly important in determining how that stop will be perceived both by the individual who is searched and their wider community. We heard troubling examples of stops and searches … Read more
Government Response
The government defends the use of stop and search, stating that powers should be used fairly and properly. However, it offers no specific commitments or actions to improve the respectful manner or de-escalation of stop and search encounters.
Home Office
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52 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Metropolitan Police's lockdown stop and search surge widened racial disparity and damaged confidence.
Stop and search needs to be used in a focused and targeted way. When it is not, it leads to injustice and to too many people being searched without good reason. The Metropolitan Police increased their use of stop and … Read more
Government Response
The government defends the use of stop and search and the need for fair use and monitoring, but does not address the recommendation for focused and targeted use or the specific criticism of the Metropolitan Police's past unfocused operations.
Home Office
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53 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Persistent racial disparities in stop and search undermine BME community confidence.
In the twenty-two years since the Macpherson report there have been different attempts to reform the way stop and search has worked, but there has been little progress in addressing the unexplained and unjustified racial disparities or building confidence among … Read more
Government Response
The government supports the use of stop and search, acknowledges the need for improved accountability, and commits to continuing to work with NPCC, APCC, and HMICFRS to explore how policing bodies can take forward recommendations and deliver a whole-sector approach. As part of "Inclusive Britain", they will consider a range of metrics for stop and search rates.
Home Office
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54 Conclusion Deferred
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Inadequate and inconsistent stop and search data collection hinders proper monitoring and oversight.
We are very concerned about shortcomings in data collection and transparency with regard to stop and search powers. It is inexcusable that forces do not have proper monitoring and oversight systems in place. In particular, there is far too great … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need for improved accountability and transparency but defers a final decision on requiring data collection for s.163 road traffic stops until ongoing pilots and NPCC consultation are considered. It also commits to considering a range of stop and search metrics with policing partners as part of the Inclusive Britain report.
Home Office
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55 Conclusion Rejected
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Insufficient evidence on stop and search effectiveness undermines public confidence and policy decisions.
The lack of evidence available about the effectiveness of stop and search in reducing serious violence crime has contributed to scepticism about the basis for using the powers and therefore a lack of confidence in them. The Home Office should … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects commissioning a new independent and comprehensive research study, stating that it has already enhanced data collection and will focus on utilizing this data to drive action and transparency, as outlined in the Inclusive Britain report, before considering further research.
Home Office
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56 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Many police forces fail to address or explain racial disparities in stop and search.
Police forces need to take very seriously their responsibility to address racial disparities in the way people are treated in their local communities. Too many forces are unable to explain the levels of racial disparities in their area and are … Read more
Government Response
The government's response largely discusses general support for stop and search and considering metrics for disproportionality as part of the Inclusive Britain report, but does not specifically address the recommendation for all forces to put systems in place for internal reviews of body worn video or to explicitly comply with HMICFRS recommendations on racial disparities.
Home Office
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57 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Gaps in police communication and de-escalation training hinder fair and effective stop and search.
We have heard about a number of important initiatives designed to improve the experience of stops, and particularly welcome those referred to in this report that have been introduced by both BME community leaders and police forces to foster more … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of training and states that existing training and guidelines, including new conflict management guidelines, are already in place and part of the new curriculum. It further commits to supporting a review and delivery of any necessary improvements to de-escalation and conflict management training by autumn 2024 as part of the Inclusive Britain report.
Home Office
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58 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Independent community oversight of stop and search is vital to earn public confidence.
We believe that the confidence of local communities will only be earned if there is proper, independent oversight of stop and search, by the community at a local level and, at a national level, by HMICFRS and the Home Office. … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges that external reviews of body worn video with community panels are already happening in 'a number of forces' and commits to exploring how best to facilitate wider sharing of BWV footage with local scrutiny panels and sharing best practice to improve scrutiny.
Home Office
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59 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
New policing technologies introduced without adequate consideration for racial bias or community confidence.
New policing technologies have developed in the decades since the Macpherson report. These technologies, which clearly could not have been considered by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, have given rise to similar kinds of issues about the importance of sustaining confidence … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees it is vital to have processes and governance for fair and proportionate use of new technology, and commits to working with policing partners to support the development of a national ethics framework for policing. This framework is expected to underpin high-quality impact assessments for new technology applications.
Home Office
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60 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Metropolitan Police Gangs Violence Matrix lacks robust oversight for racial disproportionality.
The Metropolitan Police developed the Gangs Violence Matrix as a new way to provide intelligence to tackle serious gang related violence and crime in London, but without robust systems in place to consider racial disproportionality on the database, ensure proper … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to developing a national ethics framework for policing which will apply to new technologies and data processing, addressing the 'wider efforts' part of the recommendation. However, it does not explicitly refer to MOPAC's commitment regarding the Gangs Violence Matrix.
Home Office
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61 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Racial disproportionality in COVID-19 Fixed Penalty Notices highlights need for careful oversight.
More recently, the serious concerns raised about disproportionality in the use of Fixed Penalty Notices as part of police enforcement of the covid-19 regulations provide cautionary evidence about the need for care and oversight in the way new policing powers … Read more
Government Response
The government recognises the concerns about disproportionality in COVID-19 Fixed Penalty Notices and highlights that the NPCC routinely publishes data, has commissioned an independent analysis to be published, and is committed to an action plan for improving diversity and focusing on power use.
Home Office
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62 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
NPCC and Home Office fail to publish further analysis of COVID-19 enforcement racial disparity.
Evidence of disproportionality must be carefully considered and presented transparently, with robust systems of independent oversight. Although the NPCC conducted a detailed analysis of the use of covid Fixed Penalty Notices by ethnicity during the first lockdown, in response to … Read more
Government Response
The government responds by stating that the NPCC routinely publishes data on COVID-19 Fixed Penalty Notices, has commissioned an independent analysis of FPNs by demographic group to be published, and is committed to an action plan to improve diversity across forces, directly addressing the recommendation to continue monitoring disparities and their reasons.
Home Office
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63 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police body-worn cameras require consistent use and structured oversight to build confidence.
New technologies have the potential either to re-build community confidence and/ or to badly damage it, depending on the technology, on the way it is introduced and the nature of the oversight. The introduction of police body-worn cameras, if done … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights that updated guidance for BWV use, supervisory review, and sharing footage with scrutiny panels was issued in July 2020 and adopted by most forces. It also commits to exploring how best to facilitate sharing BWV footage with local scrutiny panels and to share best practice to improve scrutiny and consistency.
Home Office
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64 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
New policing technologies like facial recognition require serious consideration of racial disparities.
The police are currently exploring other new technologies such as live facial recognition technology, where serious consideration is needed of the way the technology might apply for different communities and any consequences for racial disparities.
Government Response
The government commits to supporting the development of a national ethics framework for policing, which will underpin high-quality impact assessments for new technologies to ensure fair and proportionate use.
Home Office
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65 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Robust processes are essential for new policing technologies to prevent racial disparities.
As new policing technologies, tools and powers are developed, it is important that there are robust and credible processes in place both to guard against the risk of importing or exacerbating racial disparities and to maximise their potential to demonstrate … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to supporting the development of a national ethics framework for policing, which will underpin high-quality impact assessments for new technologies to ensure fair and proportionate use.
Home Office
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66 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Home Office and police fail to sufficiently address race equality duties for new technologies.
Under the Equality Act 2010 the Home Office and the police have a legal duty to consider the equality impact of new policies, measures or technologies on race equality or other protected characteristics. We do not believe that this responsibility … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to working with the NPCC and College of Policing to develop a national ethics framework, which will include high-quality impact assessments for new technologies to address racial disparities, directly responding to the call for collaboration on race equality assessments.
Home Office
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67 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Racial injustice persists, with government action prompted by the murder of George Floyd.
The murder of George Floyd and its global impact shone a spotlight on the race inequality and injustice that are still features of our society. It is an important step forward that political and policing leaders have come together in … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the report and acknowledges that more work is needed to improve trust and confidence in policing among black and ethnic minority groups.
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68 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Serious and persistent racial inequality shortcomings remain unaddressed in policing after two decades.
This report recognises the many significant changes that have been made on issues raised in the Macpherson report twenty-two years ago, including the major improvements in the way the police deal with racist crimes, and the public commitments by forces … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the report, acknowledging improvements but also recognising the need for further work to build trust and confidence in policing among black and ethnic minority groups.
Home Office
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69 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Individual bias and prejudice persist in policing, requiring robust challenge and disciplinary action.
Individual bias and prejudice have no place in policing. Where they persist they must be strongly challenged, including through robust disciplinary action and dismissals for unacceptable racist behaviour. Individual forces must be vigilant and proactive in shaping their organisational culture, … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to supporting the College and NPCC by autumn 2024 to review and deliver improvements to police officer training in de-escalation and conflict management, and highlights the new 'Race Action Plan' which includes measures to improve policing confidence among black people.
Home Office
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70 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Include explicit anti-racism focus in police officer training, examining racial disparities and outcomes.
Training for officers in addressing racism and valuing cultural diversity remains as important now as it was when the Macpherson report recommended it twenty-two years ago. But we are concerned by the disproportionate reliance on unconscious bias training that was … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to supporting the College and NPCC by autumn 2024 to review and improve police officer training in de-escalation and conflict management, and refers to the 'Race Action Plan' which includes measures to improve policing.
Home Office
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71 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Mandate comprehensive review and overhaul of police anti-racism training by College of Policing.
We would like to see consistency in the quality and content of training delivered at a local and service wide level. To this end we recommend a comprehensive review and overhaul of training on racism, diversity and equality, led by … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to supporting the College and NPCC by autumn 2024 to review and improve police officer training in de-escalation and conflict management, and references the new 'Race Action Plan', but does not explicitly commit to a comprehensive overhaul for national anti-racist training standards involving local communities.
Home Office
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72 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police leaders must set example through anti-racism training and confronting unfair behaviour.
It is essential also for leaders to set an example by undertaking this anti-racism training, shaping the organisational culture of their forces, confronting unfair behaviour among officers and addressing structures that disadvantage and discriminate.
Government Response
The government references general training improvements for police officers, including a review of de-escalation skills training by autumn 2024, and the new 'Race Action Plan', but does not explicitly detail how leaders will specifically undertake anti-racism training or implement the other suggested actions.
Home Office
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73 Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Policing has not adequately fulfilled responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.
The Public Sector Equality Duty and the Equality Act 2010 are a part of the legacy of the Macpherson Report’s important work on institutional racism, as they build on the race equality duty that was introduced in response to the … Read more
Government Response
The Macpherson Report left an indelible mark on policing. Over the past two decades, since the report’s publication, significant progress has been made to address Sir William Macpherson’s findings. As … Read more
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74 Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Significant improvements achieved in policing of racist crimes and community engagement.
Since the Macpherson report was published there have been important and welcome improvements in policing, and we have found that policing today is very different from twenty-two years ago. Our inquiry has seen evidence of significant improvements in the policing … Read more
Government Response
The Macpherson Report left an indelible mark on policing. Over the past two decades, since the report’s publication, significant progress has been made to address Sir William Macpherson’s findings. As … Read more
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75 Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Persistent, deep-rooted racial disparities in policing indicate structural problems for BME groups.
But our inquiry has also found that despite many years of commitments being made to race equality by the police service and the Home Office, there are still persistent, deep rooted and unjustified racial disparities in key areas. The failure … Read more
Government Response
The Macpherson Report left an indelible mark on policing. Over the past two decades, since the report’s publication, significant progress has been made to address Sir William Macpherson’s findings. As … Read more
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76 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Inquiry assessed progress against Macpherson themes, not individual institutional racism tests.
Our objective has been to consider progress, twenty-two years on, against the key Macpherson themes and recommendations which we set out in chapter one. We have not sought to carry out the kind of in-depth exercise in respect of individual … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's work and highlights past progress in policing reforms, data collection, and recruitment, referring to the "Inclusive Britain" response for future measures to improve accountability and tackle disparities.
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77 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
BME police organisations consistently report ongoing experience of institutional racism in forces.
Firstly, we take extremely seriously the views of Black and minority ethnic police organisations who repeatedly told us that they continue to experience and bear witness to institutional racism in our police forces today, and believe that this testimony alone … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's work and points to significant progress in policing since Macpherson, including reforms, data improvements, and recruitment. It states that the "Inclusive Britain" response will deliver measures to improve accountability and tackle negative disparities.
Home Office
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78 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Impetus for change from Stephen Lawrence Inquiry not sustained across all policing areas.
Secondly, the evidence we have gathered shows that the impetus for change from the “clarion call” of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry has not been sustained. In 1999 the House of Commons was told by the then Home Secretary that the … Read more
Government Response
The government asserts that significant progress has been made since the Macpherson Report, citing strengthened police accountability, improved data, a diverse recruitment drive, and measures outlined in the 'Inclusive Britain' report to tackle disparities.
Home Office
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79 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police and government demonstrate systematic failure to eliminate race inequality in policing.
We recognise that the devolved nature of policing means that there are variations in policies, cultures and outcomes between individual forces and institutions. However, based on the evidence we have received, we believe that whilst there have been improvements in … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's work and highlights significant progress made in policing over the past two decades through reforms, improved data collection, and diverse recruitment, outlining ongoing efforts to build on this progress via the "Inclusive Britain" response.
Home Office
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80 Conclusion Not Addressed
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Macpherson's concept of institutional racism remains vital for accountability over inequalities.
Thirdly, we note the different approaches to assessing “institutional racism”—the description in the Macpherson report, the six tests developed by Wendy Williams, the criteria proposed by the Sewell Commission, and the approach to assessing and tackling discrimination and racism within … Read more
Government Response
The government's response outlines past progress in policing reforms and diversity recruitment, and refers to the "Inclusive Britain" response for future actions to improve accountability, but does not directly address the committee's specific observations on the concept of institutional racism.
Home Office
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81 Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Require the EHRC to determine a framework for assessing institutional racism in police forces.
We believe that it would therefore be helpful to build consensus around a framework for measuring and assessing institutional racism within individual organisations, using the approach Wendy Williams applied in her consideration of the operations of the Home Office as … Read more
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82 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police forces must strengthen race inequality approach by adopting 'explain or change' model.
Fourthly, police forces must strengthen their approach to tackling the systemic problems of race inequality that we have identified. Forces should adopt the approach set out in the David Lammy review of the Criminal Justice System: explain or change. That … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the need to monitor trust and confidence, stating they already collect extensive ethnicity data and will continue to explore improvements in data recording. They note that the National Policing Board includes public trust as a strategic priority.
Home Office
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83 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Macpherson report's early momentum on race equality was not sustained
The Macpherson report led to major changes in attitudes towards racism and to progress on race equality both in policing and across society. However that early momentum was not sustained and persistent problems were not addressed. Now that there is … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's report and emphasizes the significant progress made in policing since Macpherson, including reforms, improved data collection, and diverse recruitment. It refers to the "Inclusive Britain" response for future measures to enhance accountability and address disparities.
Home Office
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84 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Police forces and PCCs show insufficient progress on key race equality areas
Twenty-two years on, police forces need to take responsibility for the lack of progress in vital areas raised by the Macpherson report. Individual forces and Chief Constables have considerable scope within their own organisations and communities to increase BME recruitment, … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines significant progress made since the Macpherson report, including strengthened police accountability, improved data collection, and a drive to recruit diverse officers. It refers to the 'Inclusive Britain' report for further measures to improve accountability and tackle disparities.
Home Office
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85 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Patchy national progress on race equality due to varied local approaches
The wide variation among forces in the approaches taken and outcomes achieved on specific issues in relation to race equality is a matter of serious concern. Whilst we welcome the good practice of forces that have chosen to innovate on … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights significant national progress since the Macpherson report, including strengthened police accountability, improved Home Office data collection, and a drive to recruit diverse officers. It also refers to the 'Inclusive Britain' report for a comprehensive action plan to tackle disparities.
Home Office
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86 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Lack of widespread local community oversight hinders racial disparity progress
The lack of widespread local scrutiny and oversight mechanisms involving different communities means that, too often, impetus to make progress is left to individual Chief Constables and PCCs, without improvements being made across the board or processes to ensure the … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to strengthening local community scrutiny by developing a new framework by Summer 2023, which will ensure panels are independently led and reflect local diversity. They will also explore sharing body-worn video footage with these panels.
Home Office
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87 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Isolated police forces impede national progress in tackling race disparities
Police forces also need to recognise the importance of coordinated national work to address unjustified race disparities and tackle racism. Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners should support work by the NPCC and APCC to establish national strategies and … Read more
Government Response
The Home Office commits to continuing work with the NPCC and APCC to support forces in collating and publishing data on public confidence, and to delivering recommendations aimed at improving PCCs' ability to use data for accountability and addressing community confidence.
Home Office
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88 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
NPCC's delayed race equality plan hindered by structural agreement difficulties
The NPCC has a leadership function in policing, co-ordinating police forces at a national level. It is welcome that the NPCC has announced its intention to develop and implement a race equality action plan but it is deeply disappointing that … Read more
Government Response
The government notes that the NPCC and College of Policing have co-developed a new 'Race Action Plan' which outlines measures to improve policing and secure the confidence of Black people, including updated officer guidance and training.
Home Office
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89 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
College of Policing's anti-racism training and recommendations uptake inadequate
The College of Policing has an important role to play in providing training, guidance and standards for police forces to follow. Although it has developed training and guidance on stop and search, it has not played a strong enough role … Read more
Government Response
The government supports the College of Policing's role in training and commits to supporting the College and NPCC by autumn 2024 to review and improve police officer training in areas like de-escalation skills and conflict management.
Home Office
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90 Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
IOPC previously complacent on race, now commits to focused discrimination review
Evidence given to this inquiry indicates that the IOPC (and the IPCC before it) has been too complacent on matters of race, and specifically has not worked to collate data consistently (see chapter five). We welcome the IOPC’s announcement, in … Read more
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91 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
HMICFRS stop and search recommendations remain unimplemented by many forces
HMICFRS has a very important role to play in driving improvements, raising standards and measuring progress across policing. It has produced a series of extensive reports about stop and search which has added a great deal to understanding of the … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes ongoing work by policing bodies and forces to implement HMICFRS recommendations, claiming a majority of forces have already done so or have plans. It states a follow-up survey is underway to gather more detailed information on force actions and timelines.
Home Office
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92 Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Discontinuation of HMICFRS thematic race reviews hinders urgent scrutiny of policing
However, it has been far too long since the inspectorate conducted a thematic review on race. There is an urgent need for HMICFRS to address race directly in its inspections. HMICFRS should always include specific questions about race and the … Read more
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93 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Policing's current race equality accountability system remains fragmented and ineffective.
The current system for delivery and accountability on race equality within policing is not working. While there are some opportunities for ensuring accountability within the police service, our evidence indicates that these processes are far too fragmented and rarely exercised … Read more
Government Response
The government asserts that strong governance and oversight of policing already exist through the Home Secretary-chaired National Policing Board and PCCs to ensure accountability and improve community confidence. It therefore rejects the need for a new Commissioner and maintains that much is already being done, while acknowledging more needs to be done.
Home Office
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94 Conclusion Rejected
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
National policing lacks robust, resourced independent oversight for race equality progress.
Since the Stephen Lawrence Steering Group was disbanded in 2005, there has been no national focus on achieving the aims of the Macpherson report to eliminate “racist prejudice and disadvantage and the demonstration of fairness in all aspects of policing”. … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the need for a new Commissioner or strengthened independent oversight, arguing that existing governance structures, including the Home Secretary-chaired National Policing Board and PCCs, provide sufficient scrutiny and accountability on race equality in policing.
Home Office
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95 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Home Office withdrawal fragmented policing's race equality efforts, lacking leadership and accountability.
Furthermore the withdrawal of the Home Office from an active role in policing has been responsible for fragmentation and a lack of wholesale ownership in addressing race equality issues. While we acknowledge the devolved nature of policing, the Home Office … Read more
Government Response
The government asserts that it has fundamentally reformed its governance and oversight of policing through the Home Secretary-chaired National Policing Board, demonstrating its active role and leadership in ensuring progress on race equality, contrary to the committee's suggestion of withdrawal.
Home Office
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96 Recommendation Rejected
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Establish and chair a Race Equality Steering Group to oversee policing race equality progress and accountability.
The Home Secretary should establish and chair, under the aegis of the National Policing Board, a Race Equality Steering Group. The Home Secretary should have oversight of progress in addressing race equality across the 43 police forces, including the implementation … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to establish a new Race Equality Steering Group chaired by the Home Secretary, asserting that existing governance structures, particularly the National Policing Board, already provide strong oversight and accountability for race equality in policing.
Home Office
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97 Conclusion Rejected
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Policing requires strengthened and broadened independent oversight for race equality progress.
In addition to the steering group, we believe it is so important to ensure that progress is sustained that further independent dedicated oversight on race equality in the police service in England and Wales is needed. Commitments to address issues … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the need for further strengthened independent oversight for race equality, asserting that existing governance via the National Policing Board and PCCs already provides strong and sufficient oversight.
Home Office
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98 Recommendation Rejected
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Establish a statutory Race Equality Commissioner for independent policing scrutiny and reporting.
We recommend that, in place of the oversight board, a new Race Equality Commissioner for policing is established to provide ongoing scrutiny, including analysis and advice on policing policy, tools and procedures that are likely (or have been shown) to … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation for a new Race Equality Commissioner, stating that existing strong governance and oversight through the National Policing Board are sufficient and make a new Commissioner unnecessary.
Home Office
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99 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Policing's renewed race equality focus requires formal structures for accountability and scrutiny.
The renewed focus amongst policing leaders on issues of race inequality since the summer of 2020, and in particular the commitment on the part of the NPCC to the production of an action plan to consider “concerns about racial inequalities … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees more work is needed on training consistency and commits to supporting the College and NPCC by autumn 2024 to review and improve police officer training in de-escalation and conflict management. It also highlights the co-developed 'Race Action Plan' as a measure to improve policing confidence.
Home Office
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100 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Require NPCC's race inclusion plan to prioritise workforce, data, stop and search, and culture.
Based on the evidence we have received and the systemic problems we have identified, we recommend that in taking forward its Plan of Action on Inclusion and Race, the NPCC must focus on the following priorities: • Achieving a police … Read more
Government Response
The government states that police forces are striving for a representative workforce and details existing comprehensive programmes, such as the Police Uplift Programme and targeted national campaigns, which are already delivering on this ambition through attraction, recruitment, and data capture initiatives.
Home Office
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101 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Macpherson Report's race equality aims remain unmet, undermining public trust in policing.
Across the country police forces work hard each day to tackle crime and keep all our communities safe. Police officers and staff work immensely hard to deliver fairness in policing, to support Black and minority ethnic victims of crime, to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of monitoring trust and confidence in policing and highlights existing data collection efforts across various metrics. It commits to continuing to work with policing partners to support forces in collating and publishing confidence data to inform accountability.
Home Office
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102 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The Macpherson Repo…
Recent policing race equality commitments require delivery and sustainable change to rebuild trust.
The commitments made over the last year by the NPCC, by individual forces and by senior police officers to a step change in addressing race equality in policing are important and welcome. But commitments have been made in the past … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of public confidence and describes ongoing efforts to monitor trust and collect data, committing to continue working with policing partners to consider how best to support forces in collating and publishing confidence data.
Home Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 95 of 25 classified
Accepted 39
Accepted in Part 9
Acknowledged 22
Deferred 1
Not Addressed 19
Rejected 5
Total 25 recs + 77 conclusions
Correspondence 5 letters
1 Jul 2022 From committee Letter to the Home Secretary on the Macpherson Report: 22 years on, dated 23 March 2022
Parliament page
27 Apr 2022 To committee Letter from the Home Secretary on the Macpherson Report: 22 years on, dated 31 March 2022.
Parliament page
23 Mar 2022 To committee Letter from the Home Secretary on the government response to the Macpherson Report: 22 Years On, dated 11 March 2022
Parliament page
23 Mar 2022 To committee Letter from the Minister for Equalities on the Government's response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities' (CRED) Report, dated 17 March 2022
Parliament page
22 Jul 2020 To committee Letter from the Director General of the Independent Office of Police Conduct on recording ethnicity data in investigations dated 27 March 2020
Parliament page