§ Mr. Proctorasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the scrutiny and amendment of the Commission for Racial Equality's code of practice on employment.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe Government regard as unsatisfactory the current code-making procedures under section 47 of the Race Relations Act 1976 as they give the Secretary of State no choice but to commend or reject codes in their entirety and do not allow him to amend them.
It is therefore intended to amend section 47 to give the Secretary of State such a facility. Precise details have yet to be decided, but the amending legislation will provide that codes already in operation will need to be re-submitted under the new procedures.