HC Deb 21 October 1976 vol 917 cc1635-8
6. Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take further steps to achieve better race relations.

26. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take further steps to achieve better race relations.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

The Government's policies for promoting racial harmony were set out in the White Paper on Racial Discrimination. We shall continue to pursue these policies and to give a lead in encouraging the tolerance and understanding on which good community relations depend.

Mr. Canavan

Does my right hon. Friend agree that politicians of all parties have a particular responsibility to try to promote harmonious race relations? As well as deploring provocative politics from organisations like the National Front, who try to incite hatred of coloured immigrants, does my right hon. Friend deplore those who try to incite people to hate the English, as is done by certain extremist elements in the Scottish nationalist movement?

Mr. Rees

As a Welshman born I must say that many of my friends are Englishmen. I see the point of my hon. Friend's final comment. On the first part of his question, I am convinced, new as I am to the job, that while there is much to be said for the legislation that we pass on this matter, what matters above all is what all of us are seen to be doing in everyday life in dealing with racialism. The most important element is the way in which we act and treat people.

Mr. Budgen

Does the Home Secretary agree that by far the most important action to improve race relations would be to reduce the number of immigrants coming into this country, particularly from the New Commonwealth? Does he agree that the concession that was allowed in June 1974, by which male fiancés are allowed in, has now clearly been seriously abused and should be revoked?

Mr. Rees

If there is abuse I must look into it I see no reason for departing from the general principle of treating men and women alike. As for the numbers, I must ask the hon. Member to look at the figures that are being published, and in particular the very small number of men and women from the New Commonwealth who are coming here with employment permits. Those figures are the key to the long-term situation.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

Does the new Home Secretary recognise that the first part of the White Paper to which he referred, which deals with disadvantage, was a most inadequate response to the most important part of the problem of race relations? Does he accept that a major overhaul of the Section 11 grants and the grant for the urban programme is now needed and that we must produce a coherent programme for dealing with disadvantage to ethnic minorities in this country?

Mr. Rees

My hon. Friend referred to disadvantage in the inner cities. The statements by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment about people in the inner cities, whatever the colour of their skin, form the basis on which to work. My hon. Friend is right. He had a responsibility here. The question of deprivation is a factor in racialism and in the problem of the inner cities.

Mr. Whitelaw

I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on his appointment as Home Secretary. Once more we are brought into opposing positions, although our roles are reversed this time—I trust in the wrong way and only very temporarily. I associate myself fully with his views about the need to promote good race relations and to treat everyone here as an equal and welcome citizen in our country. But does the right hon. Gentleman not accept the resolutions passed at the Labour Party conference, which did a great deal to boost the feelings of those people who fear that there will be unrestricted entry into this country? Will he take this opportunity of rejecting that?

Mr. Rees

I was present when those resolutions were discussed. I trust that the right hon. Member will appreciate that there is a misunderstanding on the matter. I do not believe that what he suggested is the case.

Mr. Whitelaw

Look behind you.

Mr. Rees

I shall look behind me, and I am proud to be associated with a party that stands up on the matter of race relations. That matters a great deal.

I am very grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for what he said in the first part of his question. I note our respective roles. May they last for a long time.