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12.45 pm
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. George Howarth): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (Mr. McDonnell) on securing this important debate on the Irish in Britain. My hon. Friend the Member for Wigan (Mr. Stott) is in the Chamber, and he and most of us in the north-west know of the considerable historical links between our constituencies and constituents and Ireland. Clearly, that has an impact on our feelings when we come to the subject.
We have heard about some of the problems that the Irish can encounter in this country. I will speak about those in a few moments. I would like to begin where my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington ended--by paying tribute to the successes of the Irish in Britain. The Government fully recognise the contribution that people of Irish origin have made to British society. Over the centuries, they have become an integral and essential part of our national life, and their achievements are visible in many walks of life.
Only last week, we read of the BMRB/Irish Post survey--to which my hon. Friend referred--which confirmed the successes of many Irish people in our society. It overturned some traditional stereotypes and painted a different, up-to-date picture of skilled, well-educated people coming to Britain to add their expertise to the economy. It suggested that one fifth of people born in Britain have a family member from Ireland, either directly or through marriage. A book detailing the 150 most successful Irish people in Britain was also recently launched. Clearly, the Irish influence in Britain is flourishing--something which I personally welcome.
My hon. Friend talked about the concerns of the Irish community, and the record of achievement and integration should not blind us to the problems that he raised. The Government are not complacent. While the very many successes are gratifying, they are no excuse for not paying attention to other real concerns.
The debate follows a report produced by the Commission for Racial Equality in June last year, entitled "Discrimination and the Irish". My hon. Friend dealt with that in some detail. When the report was launched, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary took the opportunity to congratulate the CRE on its efforts to raise awareness of the position of the Irish in Britain, and to welcome the research.
The report concluded that there was a lack of acknowledgement of Irish needs and rights, and that discrimination and disadvantage existed. A list of recommendations for action was produced, and my hon. Friend referred to many of those recommendations. The Government recognise that these problems exist and have taken them seriously across Whitehall.
Improving community relations and equality of opportunity is high on the Government's agenda. We are committed to tackling the problems of racism and discrimination--to creating a society in which everyone, regardless of background, colour or creed, has equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities. This is a policy of inclusion, not exclusion. We take seriously the concerns of every section of our society.
It should be re-emphasised today that Irish people already receive protection under current legislation. The Race Relations Act 1976 covers discrimination against anyone on grounds of colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national origins. The Act makes racial discrimination generally unlawful in the areas of employment and education, and in the provision of goods, facilities and services.
The Act has been an important tool in combating discrimination. It is now over 20 years since it was introduced, yet racial discrimination and hostility still exist. We intend to ensure that the legislation in this area is adequate to protect ethnic minorities and that it keeps pace with changes in our society. A number of organisations, principally the CRE, have put proposals to us for amending the Act; we are now looking carefully at those proposals. We need to ensure that all sections of the community can live their lives free from discrimination.
Measures to tackle racial violence and harassment are also contained in the Crime and Disorder Bill. We do not underestimate the harmful effect that such crime has on the victim, and the wider damage it can do to the trust and confidence that have built up between our communities. The creation of specific offences will send out a strong message that racial violence and harassment is unacceptable.
The Irish community will reap the benefits of a renewed emphasis on equality of opportunity across the board. We recognise that it has particular concerns--Ministers across Government have met representatives of the community to hear those concerns at first hand. The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien), has discussed the concerns with the Irish ambassador and with representatives from a wide range of Irish organisations.
The Federation of Irish Societies has met Ministers and officials at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and officials at the Office of National
Statistics. The Department of Health is meeting Irish voluntary organisations to establish how it can support them in developing work on the health of Irish communities.
My hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington mentioned benefits. One of the initiatives that has been taken is that the Benefits Agency has held Irish-awareness programmes in targeted offices. We hope that the difficulties to which he referred will be dealt with at that level.
My hon. Friend also expressed concern about housing. My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Housing has met a delegation of the Federation of Irish Societies to discuss its concerns. The Housing Corporation has set up a black and minority ethnic advisory group and although the Irish are not listed in the group's title, their concerns are included--indeed, the chief executive of the Irish Innisfree housing association is a member of the group. I am pleased to say that its work is under way. My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Housing has asked the Housing Corporation to draw up a revised black and minority ethnic strategy, which will shortly be published for consultation.
Mr. Kevin McNamara (Hull, North):
What my hon. Friend the Minister says is important, but we do not have the bare, raw statistics. Can he say whether the next census will include a specific Irish category? That is the key to progress, which will otherwise be haphazard, valuable and welcome though it is.
Mr. Howarth:
My hon. Friend raises an important issue, which I shall deal with in a moment.
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary intends to create a new race relations forum, which will be at the very heart of Government. In keeping with the Government's practices, it will include new voices and provide new solutions. Individual membership has yet to be decided, but I can confirm that it will include a member from the Irish community.
The forum will be part of the overall development of a community relations strategy that has been instigated by the Home Secretary and is being developed by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire. We are determined to take those responsibilities seriously.
My hon. Friends the Members for Hayes and Harlington and for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) both mentioned ethnic monitoring. I do not have time to talk in detail about all the issues that the CRE report highlighted, but I shall deal with the census and statistics. Ethnic monitoring and a separate Irish category in the 2001 census is a major concern of the report. We are aware of that concern from our meetings with representative groups.
The Registrars-General for England and Wales, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland are responsible for consulting census users in Government Departments, local and health authorities, academia and the private sector about their requirements for information from the next census of population and housing, which is planned to take place in 2001. The objective is to reach agreement on the questions that will be included in the census. Users have expressed strong support for the inclusion of a
question about ethnicity, and for statistics that are, as far as possible, comparable to those produced from the 1991 census. A number of users support the inclusion of a separate Irish category.
The census offices are conducting an extensive programme of testing possible questions for the 2001 census, including ethnic questions incorporating an Irish category. They will shortly draw together the results of that programme, and assess customer requirements in preparation for finalising the questions that will be included. The Government's proposals for the 2001 census will be published in a White Paper in the autumn.
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