§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on the armed forces of extending to all duties of public authorities the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976 in respect of(a) direct and (b) indirect discrimination. [114540]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 14 March 2000]: As the 1976 Race Relations Act applies already to the Armed Forces our assessment is that the extension of the Act to all public authorities should have minimal effect. Unlike other public authorities, such as the Police and Prison Service, the Armed Forces are not, other than in the broadest sense, engaged in delivering a public service to the community. We continue to act decisively to remove any direct or indirect discrimination on racial grounds. A great deal has been and continues to be undertaken across the Armed Forces to promote racial equality and diversity.