§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last carried out an overall review of the need for retaining the Advisory Council on Race Relations and the Joint Committee for Refugees from Vietnam; whether he considered alternative ad hoc sources of advice; and what conclusions he reached.
§ Mr. RaisonMy right hon. Friend is considering the role of the Advisory Council on Race Relations in the light of the comments made by the Home Affairs Committee in its report on racial disadvantage. The continuing need for the Joint Committee for Refugees from Vietnam is kept under review. It is essentially a practical co-ordinating body dealing with the reception and resettlement of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong; no ad hoc alternative is considered suitable.