Educational Support for Minority Ethnic Communities

Abstract

1. Section 11 of the 1966 Local Government Act empowers the Home Secretary to pay grants to local authorities and other institutions to support the cost of employing additional staff to help minority ethnic groups overcome linguistic and other barriers that inhibit their access to and take up mainstream services. Over the years, the greater part of the funding has been allocated to education; in 1993-94 the expected expenditure on education is about 154 million pounds, out of a total Section 11 expenditure of 173 million pounds, of which the Home Office contributes 75 percent, with the remainder found locally. Since September 1993, with the introduction of the Local Government (Amendment) Act, the original insistence on New Commonwealth origin as a condition of grant aiding has been waived in favor of including all minority ethnic communities.