§ 9. Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park and Kensington, North)What plans he has to promote equal opportunities for ethnic minorities in training and employment. [43762]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Mr. Alan Howarth)We attach great importance to ensuring that people from ethnic minorities are not disadvantaged in training and employment. The Department for Education and Employment is committed to mainstreaming race equality in all our policies, programmes and services. That is part of our strategy across Government to build an inclusive society.
§ Ms BuckDoes the Minister agree that it is unacceptable that half of London's young black men are unemployed? Is he aware that there is genuine concern that the training and enterprise councils are not tailoring all their employment and training programmes to meet the skills deficit of young black men? Will he give us an assurance that he will review the TECs' performance in that respect, in consultation with representatives of black and ethnic minority groups?
§ Mr. HowarthI share my hon. Friend's deep concern about the problem she describes, which is particularly severe in London. The rates of unemployment among people from ethnic minorities are twice as high as those for white people. Across the country, the position deteriorated during the last 10 years of Conservative Government, but it is particularly concerning among young black people, for whom, as my hon. Friend says, the figure is vastly higher. I congratulate her on her strong personal commitment to improving equal opportunities in the part of London that she represents and to supporting our strategy across the country.
We share my hon. Friend's concern about the unequal opportunities that members of ethnic minorities appear to have had in TEC-delivered training programmes. We have introduced a national minimum standard and required TECs to set demanding targets to deal with the problem.
§ Mr. Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)I remind the Minister that he was a Minister in the very Government 1186 to whom he referred. Will he confirm that the way to improve job opportunities for black people and other ethnic minorities in London and elsewhere is to instil in them a work ethic and improve their job and training opportunities, not to introduce a quota system for employers?
§ Mr. HowarthI should be sad to think that the hon. Gentleman was complacent about the position that the previous Conservative Government allowed to develop; I was not, as he knows. There is no question of imposing quotas. We are determined to ensure equal opportunities because Labour Members find racial discrimination abhorrent.
Given that there is no significant disparity in advanced level and other adult qualifications between members of ethnic minorities and others and yet there is a disturbing gap in employment levels, part of the explanation must lie in employers' attitudes. We have to find the most constructive and effective ways to ensure that culture and attitudes change so that members of ethnic minorities get the opportunities which the hon. Gentleman, like all hon. Members, surely wants them to have.
§ Mr. Derek Foster (Bishop Auckland)Does my hon. Friend agree that, if we are to keep faith with black and Asian communities, we must give the matter the highest priority? Will he look again at the modern apprenticeship scheme, where only 2 per cent. of the participants are black and Asian young people?
§ Mr. HowarthMy right hon. Friend is right: we must do very much better in a range of Government-funded and training and enterprise council-delivered programmes. I accept the anxiety that he expresses about the poor performance of members of ethnic minorities in modern apprenticeships.