§ 11.26 a.m.
§ THE EARL OF ALBEMARLEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are prepared to make, as equity would appear to require, special financial grants for the assistance of those towns upon whom national policy for the distribution of immigration "vouchers" has imposed an unwieldy concentration of immigrant families, so that adequate grounding in English may be provided for such families.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD STONHAM)My Lords, grants for such purposes as English language teaching are available under 882 Section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 to those local authorities which have substantial numbers of Commonwealth immigrants whose language or customs differ from those of the indigenous community.
§ THE EARL OF ALBEMARLEMy Lords, I do not understand that Answer. Perhaps I have not formulated my Question in a way which discloses what information I want to get. This question of integration, about which I am sure the Government are sincere, cannot be carried out unless steps are taken, and if ratepayers and the local education authorities cannot afford to take those steps the Government must help, because it is their policy. We have too many schools in which the proportion of over-sea children is beyond the one-third which was agreed with the teachers. Is the noble Lord aware that unless the Government help these authorities they will not be able to carry out their wish of integration? The teachers of both unions have said that the present position is fair neither to themselves nor to the children, but the Government merely make an answer such as I have just received, which does not fill the bill at all. I wish I could get more information from the noble Lord.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, I thought the noble Earl's Question was perfectly clear, and I had hoped that my Answer was equally clear. May I try again? Since April 1 of this year, under the 1966 Act, local authorities have been able to get a grant of 50 per cent. of approved expenditure to cover staff specially employed in connection with any functions of local authorities, including education, child care and health. Some authorities have already submitted returns, and the first payments will shortly he made. This is precisely what the noble Earl has asked for. This is precisely what we are doing, and I hope that he will now be satisfied.
§ THE EARL OF ALBEMARLEMy Lords, I regret I am not satisfied. Is the noble Lord not aware that he is talking only about financial help in regard to teaching? Is he aware that you cannot teach children who do not know English in the same building as those who do know English and wish to get on? Therefore, is not help required for buildings?
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, I hoped I had made it clear that any approved expenditure for this purpose, where a local authority has a special problem of the kind about which the noble Earl is concerned, will qualify for 50 per cent. grant. I am perfectly aware, as are the local education authorities, of the difficulty he has mentioned of teaching immigrant and indigenous children in the same class, or perhaps in the same building. But the grant goes, not merely towards the cost of staff, but also towards training teachers and for special purposes of that kind. The grant is not only for children. There are classes, which also qualify for grant, for any adults who are willing to accept instruction in our language. I assure the noble Earl that this covers the whole field about which he has asked.
§ THE EARL OF ALBEMARLEI thank the noble Lord.