§ Mr. Tilleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the report made to his Department's race relations advisory group about progress with the initiative he has taken in requesting the nationalised industries and other public bodies to review their policies for ensuring racial equality in employment.
§ Mr. John GrantOn 15 March I informed my Department's race relations advisory group, which meets under my chairmanship, that about 30 public sector bodies have been approached in this exercise. All have expressed a firm commitment to an active policy of non-discrimination. 20 bodies either already have or soon will have reinforced their commitment through a clear written statement of policy, and in the case of other bodies where racial equality policies are less advanced, personal approaches are being made to the chairmen concerned either by myself or by the responsible departmental110W Minister, asking them to take similar action.
The advisory group welcomed this report as a most encouraging indication of the lead which the public sector is giving to employers generally in this important area. The group noted, however, that there is still considerable progress to be made in the public sector and that the next stage of the exercise will be to ensure that these racial equality policies are backed by procedures which made them fully effective. My Department's race relations advisory service will be visiting the public sector bodies concerned in the months to come to discuss with them the further development and implementation of their racial equality policies. Progress will continue to be reported to the advisory group.