HC Deb 29 March 1999 vol 328 cc550-1W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into alleged unlawful discrimination arising out of Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. [78620]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The Commission for Racial Equality, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and the Trades Union Congress have separately recounted to us instances of alleged unlawful discrimination reported to them, but the Home Office has not separately commissioned research.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he carried out with(a) business organisations and (b) others regarding a code of practice for the avoidance of unlawful discrimination by employers who seek to comply with the provisions of section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. [78621]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

A Code of Practice for the avoidance of unlawful discrimination was proposed in the White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer—A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum", published last July. Comments from business organisations and others were invited at the time of publication.

No business organisations have been directly consulted since then but consultations on the proposal have taken place with the Commission for Racial Equality, (CRE) the Trades Union Congress and other interested organisations. The current proposals provide for the CRE and organisations or associations representative of employers and workers to be consulted on the preparation of the draft code of practice.