HC Deb 12 December 1968 vol 775 cc553-4
7. Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has by legislation or otherwise to improve race relations in the country.

Mr. Callaghan

The Race Relations Act came into operation on 26th November. The new Community Relations Commission is now in being. The Government will continue to encourage it and to support administrative and voluntary action to improve community relations in his country. The financial provision to be made under the Local Government Grants (Social Need) Bill to areas of special social need will also be of help for this purpose.

Mr. Winnick

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that Answer. Would he agree that the position on race relations has considerably worsened in the last few months because of the violent and inflamatory speeches of the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton. South-West (Mr. Powell)? Is he aware that some of us will continue to fight against some of the evil proposals on race that are coming from that right hon. Gentleman who, in this respect, is showing himself to be a wretched demagogue?

Mr. Callaghan

Extremism of this sort does not help the cause of race relations, whether it be expressed by the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Powell)—for whose views the leaders of the opposition parties as well as the Prime Minister have expressed detestation—or by those who, for example, support Black Power. The constructive way forward in this matter is represented by the kind of measures which the Government have placed on the Statute Book with the assent of the whole House.

Mr. Gurden

Does the right hon. Gentleman recognise that further legislation on this subject might seriously aggravate the position, as the last legislation has done, and might make matters very much worse?

Mr. Callaghan

I do not know to what legislation the hon. Gentleman is referring. There is no indication that the Race Relations Act, the Community Relations Commission or the Local Government Grants (Social Need) Bill will have any of the consequences to which he refers.