The House of Commons Home Affairs Sub-Committee and Government Policy on Race Relations

Abstract

A number of commentators have suggested that during 1979–83 the Conservative Government, whilst taking steps to control immigration and to tackle law and order problems, devoted little attention to policies which might improve race relations. Indeed, where there have been specific measures to improve race relations, such as the appointment of a Minister with special responsibility for race relations within the Department of Environment or the review of Section 11 funding, these are generally regarded as having been responses to external pressures or crises, for example the street riots of 1981. ¹ Alternatively, they have been viewed either as a means of deflecting attention from the main issues or peripheralising the management of a controversial and complex policy to local authority or non-government agencies. ²