HC Deb 21 April 2004 vol 420 cc577-8W
Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to combat racism in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [165772]

Mr. Spellar

The Government have frequently put on record ifs abhorrence of all forms of intolerance and racism. It is committed to eradicating such manifestations of hatred, whether based on racism or based on sectarianism and is developing a co-ordinated response to the problem in Northern Ireland.

Enforcement action by Police Service of Northern Ireland will continue to be the key to tackling such attacks, and PSNI enforcement action will be accompanied by a range of actions by the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments. As well as new legislative proposals, these will include measures on education, housing, health and social policy issues. The final version of the Race Equality Strategy (which takes account of extensive consultation with all sections of NI society) will be published by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister this summer and specific actions will be included in a detailed implementation plan developed in line with the strategy.

The Government's Community Safety Strategy, being implemented through the Community Safety Unit of the Northern Ireland Office, identified offences motivated by prejudice and hatred as a central theme in making Northern Ireland a safer place for all its citizens. Specifically, the Strategy seeks to reduce the levels of crime motivated by sectarianism, and to promote and enhance the safety of minority ethnic residents. Currently, the Unit is facilitating a working group of voluntary and statutory organisations which aims to establish a clear framework and operational system for the recording and monitoring of a number of hate crimes. These will include sectarian, racist and homophobic incidents. It is hoped to bring forward the consultation on such an agreed framework by the end of June, with implementation intended by October 2004. Within its Community Safety grant programme, the Challenge Competition, the Unit has also provided funding towards four projects which have a central theme of countering prejudice and hatred to a total value of £273255.

I have also published for consultation, draft legislation for Northern Ireland aimed at tackling racially motivated offences. The draft Order proposes provisions that will require sentencers, where offences are aggravated by such hostility, to treat racial and religious aggravation as an aggravating factor when sentencing. The legislation will also cover offences motivated by hatred of sexual orientation. The proposals will also increase maximum sentences available for certain specified, mainly violent, offences including where racial, religious or sexual aggravation is proven.

The issues raised by racism are issues for all sections of society in Northern Ireland and in expressing abhorrence of racism, all of us must avoid the temptation to demonise entire areas and communities. It would be an act of prejudice itself to stereotype people because of where they live or because of their community background. I reiterate the acknowledgement in the Belfast Agreement of the unique opportunity that exists here to bring about a society which will recognise the full and equal legitimacy and worth of identities, senses of allegiance and ethos of all sections of the community in Northern Ireland.