§ Ms PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much Government money was spent on the Commission for Racial Equality in(a) 1995–96 and (b) 1996–97 and what estimate he has made of the annual gross costs of enforcing the Race Relations Act 1976 in (i) 1995–96 and (ii) 1996–97. [23473]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienTotal Government payments to the Commission for Racial Equality were(a) £16,006,000 in 1995–96 and (b) £15,436,000 in 1996–97. The Commission estimates that approximately one quarter of this was spent on enforcing the Race Relations Act. We have no way of estimating the gross costs of enforcing the Act which would include the activities of a wide range of organisations and individuals.