Race Relations Board and Community Relations Commission

HC Deb 12 July 1973 vol 859 cc1752-3

2. Mr. Soref

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to public funds of the Race Relations Board, the Community Relations Commission and community relation council, over the period since their inception; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Robert Carr)

Between 1968–69 and 1972–73 public expenditure on the board and the commission, including grants by the commission to local community relations councils, has totalled about £3 million. I will, with permission, circulate detailed information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Soref

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the mounting feeling about the expenditure of this money, which it is felt in many quarters is being spent to promote rather than abate racial friction and disharmony? In many cases are not community relations officers employed by the commission and the council Black Power agitators? Will my right hon. Friend give the House an assurance that there will not be a recurrence of a pamphlet that was published two years ago, financed by the Race Relations Commission, intimidated by Michael X, which cost the taxpayer and ratepayers a considerable amount of money?

Mr. Carr

I do not accept that the amount of money, over the four-year period about which I have spoken, is an unreasonable amount in relation to the work that these bodies do. I most cer-

	Financial Year
	1968–69	1969–70	1970–71	1971–72	1972–73*
	£	£	£	£	£
Race Relations Board† (Home Office grant)	108,958	161,066	162,159	184,816	233,515
Community Relations Commission† (Home Office grant-in-aid)	185,000‡	265,000	365,000	462,000	772,000
Grants by Community Relations Commission to community relations councils, etc.§	66,896	138,666	182,187	234,533	305,136
* Provisional figures subject to audit.
† As shown in Appropriation Accounts.
‡ Including part-year grant-in-aid to National Committee for Commonwealth Immigrants.
§ These grants are made from the commission's own grant-in-aid from the Home Office
Accommodation costs and certain other expenditure of the Race Relations Board are borne on other Departmental Votes and are not included in the table above.