HC Deb 31 July 1980 vol 989 cc1716-8
12. Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up a working party to review the working of the Race Relations Act 1976.

Mr. Raison

My right hon. Friend has no plans to set up such a working party.

Mr. Brotherton

Does not my hon. Friend agree that the time has come to review the working of this Act? Does he not agree that the Act should be repealed and that the whole paraphernalia and drivel of the race relations industry should be abolished?

Mr. Raison

The Act has not been on the statute book very long. We have no plans to abolish the Commission for Racial Equality.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

Would it not be better if the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Brotherton) read the Act before commenting upon it? Is not there sufficient evidence already to show that we made a mistake in giving to the Commission for Racial Equality powers in addition to the law enforcement role, with which it should be preoccupied? Is not the CRE being diverted into channels that it was never intended to deal with?

Mr. Raison

I know that that point of view is held by a number of hon. Members and by some people outside the House. However, our experience does not suggest that the decision to replace the old race relations board and community relations commission with one body was wrong.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

Will not my hon. Friend give further consideration to the reasonable request made by my hon. Friend the Member for Louth (Mr. Brotherton)? Does not my hon. Friend accept that the whole paraphernalia of the Race Relations Act and community relations commissions is counter-productive to the best interests of the ethnic minorities in this country? The majority of our indigenous population believe that there is positive discrimination against them. Does not my hon. Friend believe that evolution is better than the nonsense of the Race Relations Act?

Mr. Raison

I would never argue that everything that is done by all those bodies is perfect, but I repeat to my hon. Friend that we do not believe that we have reached the stage when it would be right to jettison the system which was set up by the 1976 Act.

Mr. Dubs

Is the Minister aware that on at least three occasions this afternoon his hon. Friends have made blatantly racist comments——

Mr. Marlow

Disgraceful! Withdraw.

Mr. Speaker

Order. Let us hear the remainder of the question.

Mr. Dubs

The Minister has not seen fit to repudiate those statements. Will he do so now?

Mr. Raison

I do not accept that assertion—

Mr. Brotherton

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I do not know whether the hon. Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs) was referring to me, but it is surely in order for me to speak in defence of the people of England, as opposed to people of other nations who come to live here.

Mr. Speaker

Order. Had the hon. Gentleman been out of order, I should have reminded him.

Mr. Raison

I do not accept the observation of the hon. Member for Batter-sea, South (Mr. Dubs). My hon. Friends are entitled to express their views, even if we do not agree with them on all occasions.