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Race Relations Legislation

Volume 264: debated on Monday 16 October 1995

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To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what considerations underlay the decision to bring race relations law into operation in Northern Ireland by means of an Order in Council; what consideration was given to amending the existing Great Britain legislation to include Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [37212]

The consultative document published in December 1992 considered a number of ways in which race relations legislation could be enacted in Northern Ireland. Having considered the responses, it was decided that the commitment to the early introduction of race legislation would be best achieved by way of a separate race relations Order in Council.The extension of the Race Relations Act 1976 was not included as an option for legislation on the grounds that it would not be appropriate in the context of the particular circumstances and scale of race relations issues in Northern Ireland.