§ Miss Joan Lestorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the administration of the new grant for local authority measures to meet ethnic minority needs which he has proposed as a replacement for section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966, he plans a major role for the Commission for Racial Equality; and if he will involve the Commission in all preliminary discussions with local authority associations and others.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesConsultations about the legislation which will be needed for these proposals are still in progress. It 257W is my intention that the arrangements for the administration of this grant should encourage the most effective possible coordination of the interests of all those concerned in the matter and it is my expectation that the advice of the Commission for Racial Equality will play an important part. I intend to involve the Commission in preliminary discussions as fully as possible to determine how this can be achieved.