Police: Muslim Organisation Groups

Mr. MacShane
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines have been issued to police forces on criteria to be applied to formal contacts between the police and Muslim organisations and groups; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. McNulty
There have been no guidelines issued to police forces on criteria to be applied to formal contacts between the police and Muslim organisations and groups. However, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has issued Practice Advice (Professionalising the Business of Neighbourhood Policing) which emphasises the need for neighbourhood police officers to engage with a cross-section of the community to ensure that the views of minority groups are represented. NPIA is supporting the development of the National Muslim Police Association, an organisation we welcome as an important bridge between the police service and the Muslim community. We have also piloted community engagement training in a number of police basic command units across England and Wales to provide neighbourhood officers with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve this.