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Police Service of Northern Ireland

Volume 481: debated on Monday 20 October 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many cases of sectarianism within the police force were reported within the Northern Ireland Police Service in each of the last 10 years; and how many officers (a) were found to have been sectarian, (b) were dismissed as a result and (c) received disciplinary action as a result in each year; (227394)

(2) what definition the Police Service of Northern Ireland uses of institutionalised homophobia;

(3) what percentage of recruits entering the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years completed their full probationary period;

(4) what definition of institutionalised sectarianism the Police Service of Northern Ireland uses;

(5) what definition of institutionalised racism the Police Service of Northern Ireland uses;

(6) how many cases of racism within the Northern Ireland Police Service were reported in each of the last 10 years; and how many officers (a) were found to have been racist, (b) were dismissed as a result and (c) received disciplinary action as a result in each year;

(7) what steps the Police Service of Northern Ireland has taken to use social networking sites to encourage reporting of homophobic hate crimes and incidents; and if he will make a statement;

(8) what percentage of Northern Ireland police recruits identified themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender in each of the last five years; and what percentage of those recruits completed their full probationary period.

That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House and the Official Report.