Equal Opportunities (Hansard, 12 June 1996)

§ Mr. Bernie Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what estimate he has made of the number of new black and minority ethnic construction firms or consultancies which(a) have been able to start up and (b) develop further, from the projects that have been funded in inner-city areas; [31962]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of black and minority ethnic construction firms or consultancies which the banks have assisted in (i) the last financial year and (ii) in the last five years; [31963]
(3) how many black and minority ethnic construction firms or consultancies, as defined by the Commission of Racial Equality, are on the approved contractors list of local authorities in London. [31964]

§ Mr. Clappison
No data are available centrally to answer these questions.

§ Mr. Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many black and minority ethnic construction firms or consultancies (i) are currently and (ii) are planned to be engaged in capital projects under(a) round 1 single regeneration budget challenge fund projects in London and (b) round 2 single regeneration budget challenge fund projects in London. [31965]

§ Sir Paul Beresford
The information requested is not available. Partnerships are required in the grant offer letter not to discriminate unlawfully against any person on the grounds of sex or race.

§ Mr. Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to ensure that black and minority ethnic businesses are able to compete successfully as part of the single regeneration budget challenge fund programme in London and the regions. [31966]

§ Sir Paul Beresford
The SRB challenge fund bidding guidance clearly states that bids for funding must be supported by partnerships representing all those with a key interest, including ethnic minority communities. Challenge fund objectives also address the need to involve ethnic minorities; these include enhancing the employment prospects, education and skills of local people, particularly the young and those at a disadvantage, promoting equality of opportunity and promoting initiatives of benefit to ethnic minorities.
Over a third of successful SRB challenge fund schemes in the first two bidding rounds are specifically targeted at ethnic minorities. In addition, over 60 per cent. of successful round 2 schemes will include outputs for which ethnic minorities are intended beneficiaries.

§ Mr. Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken to monitor the success of local authority equal opportunities policies, with particular reference to the awarding of contracts for capital projects under the single regeneration budget challenge fund programme in London and in the regions. [31967]

§ Sir Paul Beresford
No formal monitoring of equal opportunities policies is carried out. Local authorities are required to comply with the law relating to equal opportunities. In the specific case of the SRB challenge166W fund, all successful partnerships are made aware of the need to comply with this law in the grant offer letter and are directed to the codes of practice issued by the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission for further advice.

§ Mr. Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the single regeneration budget—SRB—challenge fund(a) has been paid to and (b) is planned to be paid to black and minority ethnic construction firms or consultancies in (i) round 1 SRB challenge fund year by year in London and (ii) round 2 SRB challenge fund year by year in London. [31968]

§ Sir Paul Beresford
The information requested is not available.