§ Mr. Oakesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the value of the work done by the Institute of Race Relations in the 324W study and improvement of race relations in Great Britain and elsewhere; and if he will make a grant to the Institute to enable it to carry on its work.
§ Sir F. SoskiceI am glad of this opportunity of paying tribute to the Institute's excellent work as a pioneer body in a field largely unexplored. Considerable use has been made, of recent years, by Government Departments and others of the information and services which the Institute has built up. The Institute has hitherto subsisted on grants from nonofficial sources and expects to be able to do so in the future but is in immediate need for assistance towards its ordinary expenses and of a grant for the completion of an important research project. The Government have therefore decided to make a once-for-all contribution to the Institute's expenses in the current year in the form of a grant-in-aid of £25,000 consisting of £15,000 towards current expenses and £10,000 for research. A Supplementary Estimate for this purpose will be presented to Parliament in due course. In the meantime, the necessary funds are being advanced from the Civil Contingencies Fund.