§ Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—[Jim Fitzpatrick.]
§ 10.5 pm
§ John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington)Sat shri kal, Mr. Deputy Speaker. That is a Punjabi greeting to commence the debate on the Punjabi community in Britain. I shall start by explaining the genesis of the debate. For some years in the late 1980s and the 1990s, thanks to the hard work of my hon. Friend the Member for Warley (Mr. Spellar), now the Minister for Transport, a number of MPs came together under the auspices of the all-party group on human rights in the Punjab. The group took up the concerns of the Punjabi community in Britain about the abuse of human rights in the Punjab resulting from the period of troubles in that region during the 1980s and early 1990s.
In the last Parliament, in consultation with representatives of the Punjabi community, my colleagues and I widened the scope of the all-party group to enable it to represent in Parliament the Punjabi community on the full range of issues of concern to Punjabis in Britain. In March last year, members of the all-party group secured the first debate on the Punjabi community in Britain in thehistory of the British Parliament. Our aim as a group is to secure regular debates on the issues of concern to that community. Tonight's debate provides us with an opportunity to gauge progress on the issues that we raised in our debate last year and to draw attention to the agenda of issues and the programme of work that the all-party group has set itself for the forthcoming Session of Parliament.
That agenda of issues has been drawn together on the basis of extensive consultation with organisations representing the Punjabi community in Britain. On all those issues we need the continuing attention and support of the Government. The agenda of issues to be addressed in the coming Session is therefore a direct reflection of the concerns of the Punjabi community in Britain and the debates of the all-party group.
A prime issue of concern to the Punjabis in Britain, which we identified in last year's debate, is the operation of the visitor visa system. The whole community has welcomed the Government's reinstatement of the visa appeals process. In last year's debate, Members expressed anxiety about the possible introduction of a bond system, and the level of charges to be levied for appeals. It was greatly appreciated, therefore, when the Government dropped the proposals for bonds and subsequently reduced the charges for appeals.
None the less, many of our constituents continue to experience considerable problems with the visa process. Time after time, visas are refused for family members, often grandparents travelling for weddings, funerals and the birthday celebrations of grandchildren. The system still works to divide families, often in the most heart-rending way. In many instances, the appeal process serves only to rubber stamp the initial decision of the entry clearance officer, and letters of support from MPs appear to count for very little.
The all-party group proposes that an independent review of the visa system be undertaken—a short, sharp exercise to examine how fairly the system is operating, 129 possibly involving an element of "mystery shopping" to test whether the process is equitable. The all-party group would be pleased to discuss with the Minister how that proposal could he implemented.
In addition to visitor visas, constituents report continuing problems when seeking employment permits and visas for staff recruited in the Punjab. These problems have been experienced by priests and specialist teachers; even one of my local restaurants, the Saffron, which serves some of the best Indian cuisine in London, had a problem with securing the entry of a renowned Indian chef. We are aware that the Government have embarked on a debate about the future of work permits and employment quota systems, and this issue could possibly be addressed within the ambit of that discussion.
In response to Members' requests, the Government have undertaken two further reforms in relation to visas and immigration, which were also highlighted in last year's debate. The first is the commencement this year of the scheme to register all immigration advisers. The scheme provides the opportunity not only to monitor and raise the standards of advice on visa and immigration procedures, but to drive out of existence the despicable crooks who prey on some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The all-party group wholeheartedly endorses the new scheme.
Another reform is the Government's proposal to establish a visa office in Jalandhar in Punjab where advice and assistance can be given to visa applicants. That measure responds to our plea in last year's debate, which was made on behalf of members of our constituents' families who have to undertake the long and expensive journey to Delhi in person. Sometimes up to 16 hours' travel is involved. However, in our meeting with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last week it was sad to learn that the proposal for the new visa office, which was submitted to the Indian Government some time ago, remains on Indian ministerial desks. I want to use tonight's debate to urge the Indian Government, in the friendliest terms possible, to expedite that important initiative. It would greatly assist all our constituents.
Another focus of the all-party group's attention is support for Punjabi culture in this country. Our view is that its maintenance and promotion in Britain represents not an argument for separatism or preference, but a means whereby people who are confident in the understanding and knowledge of their own culture can better integrate and live harmoniously with those from different backgrounds and other cultures.
In practice, we have interpreted that commitment as support in education for the first Sikh school in the history of this country. Guru Nanak school is in my constituency, and with the award of voluntary-aided status and associated funding from the Government, it is flourishing and securing some of the best educational results in London—and in the rest of the country. However, demand for places vastly outstrips the number available, so we hope that the Government will give a sympathetic hearing to a bid for the much-needed expansion of the school in September. The catchment area goes beyond my constituency, covering Hounslow, Ealing and Slough.
The Punjabi language is a key issue, which we addressed in last year's debate. Securing one's culture involves maintaining the ability to speak one's mother tongue, and ensuring that others have access to an 130 understanding of one's history, culture and beliefs. The all-party group is keen to work with the Department for Education and Skills to advise on curriculum development in relation to the Punjabi community and Sikhism.
§ Fiona Mactaggart (Slough)As the Punjabi language is probably the second most spoken in this country—it is the first language for many people—is it not important to give people in that community access to radio? The Minister is not responsible for that issue, but perhaps she will pass on to her colleagues in another Department the Punjabi community's eagerness to use the new access radio licences to provide radio through the medium of Punjabi. That would enable it to use radio licences to reinforce and develop the language.
§ John McDonnellI am grateful for that intervention, and shall make a plea to the Government on the subject.
The all-party group suggests that we assist in a survey of local education authorities to ascertain what support is provided for teaching Punjabi where parents request that facility. My hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) is correct: with 1.3 million Punjabi speakers in Britain, Punjabi has become this country's second language. That wealth of Punjabi speakers is a real asset in a globalised economy, and I agree that the scale of Punjabi speaking in this country should be reflected in the support given to cultural outlets available to the Punjabi-speaking community.
The best example is the limited number of radio stations broadcasting in Punjabi. Most are on short-term licences associated with the celebration of the Versaikhi period, but several excellent applications are being prepared by the Punjabi community. Last year the all-party group organised a seminar on radio licensing, and we believe that we might have facilitated the approach to the Government that will enable them to award new licences to Punjabi-speaking community organisations.
Greater recognition is also needed to preserve and promote Punjabi sport—kabbadi, for example, which is a form of what I can only describe as high-speed wrestling, or rugby without the ball. One day someone might explain the rules of kabbadi, which are complicated and brutal. The UK kabbadi federation is not even recognised by the visa office, and teams are often prevented from travelling to the UK from the Indian sub-continent. Many MPs have had to intervene on several occasions just to secure a player's entry to this country.
An understanding of the history of the Punjab, especially the Sikh Khalsa, is critical to the maintenance of Punjabi culture. The recent celebration of the 300th anniversary of Versaikhi by institutions such as the Victoria and Albert museum did a great deal to promote a greater appreciation of that culture among both Sikhs and the general population. This year we will witness the celebration of the bicentenary of Maharajah Ranjeet Singh, and this month the V&A has organised a seminar on "Preserving the Sikh Heritage". The Sikh material heritage ranges from simple pieces produced in homage to Sikh gurus to precious art works and gems in museums and royal collections. The Koh-i-noor diamond, which is part of the Crown jewels, is a Sikh artefact given to Queen Victoria—some say under duress—by the last Maharajah Duleep Singh.
131 The all-party group is anxious to encourage a discussion of how this unique heritage can be preserved for future generations and made more accessible to the current generation. This is not an attempt to repatriate these objects, as with the Elgin marbles—the Queen can rest assured for the time being. Instead, we need to examine how co-operation between Governments and community organisations can best assist in preserving and holding in trust these priceless objects for the worldwide Sikh community.
Another key agenda issue for the all-party group for the coming period is the development of economic links between Britain and the Punjab. Later this year, the group aims to host a seminar on the potential for economic development initiatives, which could be of mutual benefit, bringing together Government agencies, Punjab state bodies and private sector representatives from Britain and the Punjab. The objective is to examine what assistance can be provided to Punjabi commerce and agriculture, especially through enhanced opportunities for inward investment and for export via increased airport capacity. They also need help to tackle the increasing problem of water scarcity and diversion, and cropping policies in the Punjab.
We remain interested in human rights issues. Undoubtedly, there are concerns about the Indian Government's failure to allow United Nations rapporteurs to enter the country and go to the Punjab. We will continue to press the matter until we secure a truth commission—or at least an extension of the remit of the Indian Human Rights Commission—to investigate the disappearance of large numbers of people throughout the 1980s during the crisis in the Punjab.
That is a substantial agenda for an industrious all-party group, and we are addressing many other issues on behalf of the Punjabi community in Britain. We can succeed with that agenda only with the support of the Punjabi community, and the continuing support of the Government, which we are pleased to have received throughout their previous term of office and hope to receive throughout their present period of office.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Angela Eagle)I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) for securing, for the second consecutive year, a debate on the Punjabi community in Britain. We still face many challenges on race relations. It is right to highlight the success of our many and varied communities. I thank my hon. Friend for reminding us of the significant contribution that the Punjabi community makes to the economic and cultural life of this country.
These debates provide an important opportunity for us to be reminded at first hand of community concerns, and my hon. Friend has set those out clearly. Last year, the difficulties that many members of the Punjabi community face in travelling to Delhi to apply for a visa were explained. As my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) said in reply to last year's debate, the Government were aware of suggestions that there should be more visa issuing offices in the sub-continent and were examining the matter. As my hon.
132 Friend was happy to report, in December we asked the Indian Government for their agreement to open visa liaison offices in Jalandhar in the Punjab and a similar office in Ahmadabad in Gujarat.
We continue to press the Indian Government for approval for the offices, at which point we can begin to recruit and train locally employed staff. This matter was raised with the Indian Government on 21 June by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw). I am happy to discuss with the all-party group the issue of visas and work permits, to see how we can make the system more user-friendly. I am glad to have my hon. Friend's support on the registration of some of the legal advisers, which is going ahead as a result of legislation passed recently.
Human rights in the Punjab were mentioned. The situation has improved greatly since the troubles ended some eight years ago, and we recognise the need to ensure that all allegations of abuses are investigated. Ministers and officials have made clear to the Indian authorities the importance of investigating abuses and bringing wrongdoers to justice, and we have consistently urged those authorities to allow access to India for international human rights groups, including the United Nations rapporteurs on torture and on extrajudicial executions.
We have also been trying to work with the authorities in a practical way. Through our high commission in New Delhi, we have been able to engage in some human rights project work in the Punjab that aims to improve police skills. Projects have involved co-operation between UK and Indian experts and the Punjabi police training college and have focused on child-friendly policing, policing for vulnerable groups and co-operation with youth clubs and children's groups.
I agree with my hon. Friend that promoting an understanding between different cultures to tackle racism is central to our policy. We firmly believe in the importance of teaching young people the value of diversity and of a proper sense of society and their place in it. That is why my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary introduced citizenship education to the national curriculum when he was Secretary of State for Education and Employment.
The programme for the study of citizenship in secondary schools will be introduced as part of the national curriculum in September 2002. It is already in the primary curriculum, as part of personal social and health education. For the first time all pupils will be taught about the diversity of national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the UK, and about the need for mutual respect and understanding.
I will convey to the appropriate Department what my hon. Friends the Members for Hayes and Harlington and for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) said about Punjabi language radio licences.
We believe that the measures we are introducing in schools will help to ensure that future generations grow up with a clear concept of citizenship—an understanding of the value of diversity, and a respect for individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. I know that those values are shared by the Punjabi community.
We must ensure that communities have the skills and knowledge to make their views known. In the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes 133 and Harlington, for example, the local authority has secured nearly £180,000 over three years to run a community development project under the community networks support programme of the Home Office "connecting communities" grant. The money will be used to establish a consortium of minority ethnic community organisations, which will act as advocates on behalf of member organisations and the communities they represent.
§ John McDonnellOne of the issues that we raised in last year's debate was the importance of funding for gurdwaras. We wanted to establish the principle that the "connecting communities" funds could be re-used to support them.
Some of the discussions with community support organisations prompted consternation in the Punjabi community in Britain about the proscription of the International Sikh Youth Federation, which we envisaged as a key organisation working in the community for peace and harmony generally.
§ Angela EagleI understand my hon. Friend's concern about the proscription of any organisation, but I assure him that this was not done lightly or without appropriate information. If my hon. Friend wants to make any other representations, I shall naturally be more than happy to hear them.
Kabbadi sounds like an interesting sport. As one who suggested that chess should be classed as a sport and is still trying to achieve that aim after a number of years, I know how difficult it is to introduce new sports, especially those involving rough and tumble. I wish the Kabbadi Association in Britain well, and hope that the sport spreads.
§ Fiona MactaggartMy hon. Friend the Minister mentioned kabbadi and the issue of civic education and giving responsibility to the community. One of the problems is that those messages are contradicted in practice by the way in which some people are treated when they seek entry to Britain as visitors. In New Delhi, more than in any other post on the subcontinent, would-be visitors are pre-sifted and not properly given a chance to make their case before an entry clearance officer. Perhaps 134 my hon. Friend could encourage her colleagues in the Foreign Office to ensure that they advise those staff of the contradictory effect that their actions have on the feeling of success in the community here when their relatives are not even allowed to apply to visit.
§ Angela EagleI take my hon. Friend's point. In mitigation, all I would say is that the New Delhi post is especially busy and has a huge throughput. I will certainly draw my colleagues' attention to the points she has made. We need to look at work permits, which my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington mentioned, to see how we can achieve an appropriate balance and deal with everyone fairly, quickly and efficiently. That is often difficult to achieve, but I assure my hon. Friends that the ministerial team at the Home Office are spending much time considering how to do so.
The debate has done much to remind us all of the importance and benefits of living in a diverse society, and it has reinforced the reminder given by my hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr. Lammy) during Tuesday's debate on Bradford that we must not lose sight of the considerable examples of success in many of our multi-ethnic communities. It is right to concentrate on problems, but it is also important to concentrate on the positive aspects of diverse community life. Therefore, I again congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington on bringing this subject before the House.
The Government welcome the positive contributions made by the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh members of the Punjabi community in Britain, and we all share the vision of a society free from prejudice in which differences between religions and ethnic communities are not only respected and valued, but celebrated and promoted. We will continue to work with the Punjabi community and all communities to ensure that that development continues. As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary said in the House last week,
The vast majority of people in our society, regardless of their ethnic background, want the same things for themselves and their children."—[Official Report, 10 July 2001; Vol. 371, c. 664.]Our aim is to create an inclusive and fair society, and local communities that meet the needs of all groups.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Adjourned accordingly at twenty-seven minutes past Ten o'clock.