Displaying items by tag: review

Solving crime, seeing justice done, and working within communities to improve their lives is what motivates people to become police officers. Officers should not have to face assault when they take the risks of standing up to criminals and protecting people. However, after recent serious attacks on police officers and a national increase in officer assaults, an urgent review has been commissioned. It will hear from officers about their experiences and gather all the available evidence and research. It will focus on officer safety training, equipment, deployment and operational planning, investigations into officer assaults, the care provided after an assault, the response from the criminal justice system, and the extent to which it is providing a sufficient deterrent. The findings of this review will be considered at an extraordinary chief constables’ council in November.

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has asked the Bishop of Truro to review the plight of persecuted Christians worldwide. The bishop will look at government efforts to help the 215 million Christians who faced discrimination and violence last year. Officials say violence against Christians is rising dramatically, with an average of 250 killed every month. The review will map the persecution of Christians in key countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Mr Hunt said the UK ‘must do more. So often, the persecution of Christians is an early warning sign of the persecution of every minority.’ He added, ‘Britain has long championed international religious freedom.’ The review, due to be completed by Easter, will analyse current Government support and offer ambitious policy recommendations.

A BBC review published on 20 December found religious people ‘poorly presented or satirised’ by the corporation, and suggests programming that ‘better reflects the UK’. BBC proposes to include religious themes in popular dramas and soaps on TV and radio, make more documentaries covering religious and ethical issues, and expand its religious affairs team. The ‘Thought for the Day’ slot on Radio 4 will be more closely linked to news items with women and young people. Figures from a wider range of religions will be invited to contribute. Pray that Tony Hall, the BBC’s director general, will remember its religion home page statement: ‘Christianity is the largest religion in the world with over two billion followers. 42 million people in Britain today describe themselves as Christian, and six million are actively practising.’