HC Deb 11 November 1985 vol 86 cc32-3W
Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report details of numbers of staff employed by the Commission for Racial Equality in each of its offices; and how many of these are Welsh speaking.

Mr. Waddington

The number of staff currently employed by the Commission for Racial Equality in each of its offices is:

Number
London 162
Manchester 14
Leeds 9
Birmingham 13
Leicester 6

I understand that the commission has one fluent Welsh language speaker in its London office.

Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the dates on which Ministers from his Department have, since May 1979, met the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, indicating what was the general subject of discussion at each such meeting.

Mr. Waddington

Since May 1979 Home Office Ministers have met the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality on a number of occasions to discuss general matters of mutual interest affecting the commission; the most recent meeting was on 2 October when my right hon. Friend met the chairman and other members of the commission.

Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of maintaining the Commission for Racial Equality in each of the last five years.

Mr. Waddington

In the last five years, the Commission for Racial Equality has received grant-in-aid as follows:

Year £ million
1980–81 7,036
1981–82 7,856
1982–83 8,392
1983–84 8,720
1984–85 9,261

Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report details as to how many complaints the Commission for Racial Equality received from (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales, respectively, for the last year for which this information is available.

Mr. Waddington

I understand that in 1984 the commission received 1,202 complaints: 1,172 from England, 12 from Scotland and 18 from Wales. The Race Relations Act 1976 does not extend to Northern Ireland.