Standing Advisory Council on Race Relations

HC Deb 24 March 1977 vol 928 cc609-11W

Mr. Edge

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can now announce the membership of the Standing Advisory Council on Race Relations foreshadowed in the White Paper on Racial Discrimination, Command Paper No. 6234.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

The following organisations have accepted invitations to nominate representatives to the Council, as followsAssociation of County Councils, Mr. F. D. Pickering, CBE, Chairman of Berkshire County Council. Association of District Councils, Councillor J. R. Green, Member of Nottingham City Council. Association of Metropolitan Authorities, Councillor T. McLatchie, Member of West Midlands County Council and Coventry Metropolitan District Council. Greater London Council, Mrs. Yvonne Sieve, G.L.C. Member for Ealing, Southall. London Boroughs Association, Councillor R. W. G. Humphreys, Member of Camden Borough Council. Confederation of British Industries [To be announced]. Trades Union Congress, Mr. W. H. Keys, General Secretary Society of Graphical and Allied Trades. National Association of Community Relations Councils, Miss Kate Francis, Executive Officer of the Association.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities will be associated with the work of the Council and will be invited to send a representative to any meeting at which a matter of direct interest to the Convention is to be discussed.

I have also appointed the following as members of the Council on a personal basis for a period of two years: Mr. S. I. Aziz, Personnel Officer, Mars Ltd., Melton Mowbray, Leics. Dr. S. S. Chatterjee, O.B.E., J.P., Consultant Chest Physician, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester. Mrs. Yvonne Conolly, Headmistress, Ring Cross Infants School, Islington, London. Mrs. Pauline Crabbe, OBE, J.P., Secretary London Brook Advisory Centre. Dr. Farrukh Hashmi, O.B.E., Consultant Psychiatrist, West Midlands Regional Health Authority, Birmingham. Mr. Hugh W. Hay, a convenor for the Transport and General Workers' Union at General Electric Company, Stoke, Coventry. Dr. Mohammed Iqbal, Lecturer in Chemistry and Adviser to Overseas Students, Huddersfield Polytechnic. Mr. Ravi Jain, Organising Secretary, National Association of Indian Youth, Southall. Miss Cynthia V. John, Solicitor, Gray's Inn, London. Mrs. K. K. Khan, Teacher, R.C. Notre Dame Girls High School, Dumbarton. Lord Pitt of Hampstead, J.P., Chairman-designate, Community Relations Commission; Member (former Chairman) of Greater London Council. Councillor K. M. Shah, Member of Leicester City Council; Importer and retailer. Professor Harmindar Singh, Lecturer/teacher in World Religions, London. Councillor S. Springer M.B.E., Member of Hackney Borough Council; London Transport bus driver/operator.

The Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality will be a member. Until this Commission is established Mr. David Lane will attend as chairman-designate and Lord Pitt will attend in his capacity as chairman of the Commission for Community Relations. During this period Sir Geoffrey Wilson will also attend as chairman of the Race Relations Board.

The Council will be under my chairmanship, and Ministers from the Departments of Education and Science, Environment, Employment, and Health and Social Security will be members. Other Ministers will attend when matters of concern to their Departments are discussed.