Select Committee · Home Affairs Committee

The Macpherson Report: twenty-two years on

Status: Closed Opened: 5 Jun 2020 Closed: 31 Jan 2024 25 recommendations 77 conclusions 1 report

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 from BME communities. In 2020 …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on HC 139 30 Jul 2021 102 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
55 Conclusion Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T… Rejected

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 fill this evidential gap by commissioning a fully independent and …

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 …
Home Office
94 Conclusion Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T… Rejected

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”. The various national policing bodies have not done this, nor …

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
96 Recommendation Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T… Rejected

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 of action plans, through the Steering Group which should also …

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
97 Conclusion Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T… Rejected

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 from BME recruitment to stop and search have been made …

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
98 Recommendation Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T… Rejected

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 have a potential impact on racial disparities. The remit of …

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

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
22 Jul 2020 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 View ↗
17 Jun 2020 Katrina Ffrench · StopWatch, Mirren Gidda · Liberty Investigates, Nick Glynn · Open Society Foundations, Professor Ben Bowling · Kings College London, Rosalind Comyn · Liberty View ↗

Correspondence

5 letters
DateDirectionTitle
1 Jul 2022 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary on the Macpherson Report: 22 years on, dated 23 Ma…
27 Apr 2022 To cttee Letter from the Home Secretary on the Macpherson Report: 22 years on, dated 31 …
23 Mar 2022 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Equalities on the Government's response to the Com…
23 Mar 2022 To cttee Letter from the Home Secretary on the government response to the Macpherson Rep…
22 Jul 2020 To cttee Letter from the Director General of the Independent Office of Police Conduct on…