§ Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the extent to which(a) his Department and (b) other Government Departments, non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies are institutionally racist; what criteria he uses to define institutional racism; and if he will make a statement. [121996]
§ Mr. StrawI accepted the definition of institutional racism set out in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report as a useful guide in tackling discrimination and inequality within public services.
In the Home Office, we had already identified, through a staff survey, that a significant number of our minority ethnic staff felt that they had experienced prejudice or been denied opportunity. A programme of action was started including targets for recruitment, retention and progression, and the establishment of a minority ethnic network for staff.
The Government are determined that the public sector should lead on race equality. The legislation currently going through Parliament extends direct discrimination provisions to public authorities and includes, for the first time, indirect discrimination and a duty on all public authorities to promote race equality, and will prove a key lever in tackling institutional racism.
The Home Office is working with other Government Departments in developing strategies to inculcate race equality as a core issue. Responsibility for action by individual Departments or organisations rests with them.