§ Lord Boyd-CarpenterMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name of the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking in respect of the grant-giving powers of the Commission for Racial Equality.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Belstead)My Lords, the recent report by the Home Affairs Committee of another place on the operation and effectiveness of the Commission for Racial Equality included recommendations relating to the commission's powers to give grants. The Government are considering these, together with the committee's other recommendations, and will publish their response as soon as possible.
§ Lord Boyd-CarpenterMy Lords, does my noble friend confirm that the Select Committee in another place was particularly critical of the commission's exercise of its very important power in respect of grants; and are the Government considering seeking from the commission—if these powers are to remain there—assurances that these powers will be more effectively and intelligently used in the future than they apparently have been in the past?
§ Lord BelsteadMy Lords, I confirm in my answer to the first part of my noble friend's supplementary question that the Select Committee was critical of the grant-giving power of the commission as it has worked out in practice. Certainly my right honourable friend will take seriously into account what my noble friend said in the second part of his supplementary question.