Nearly one in three Home Office staff in London and Croydon is from an ethnic minority background, the Home Secretary David Blunkett announced today.

In the keynote address, Mr Blunkett announced the publication of the performance figures for the Home Office and the prison, police and probation services against the Home Secretary's race employment targets. He said, "The Government has always made it clear that it wants the public sector to set the pace in the drive for race equality. If the Government is to speak seriously about race equality as a service provider and as a policy maker it must also demonstrate the principles of race equality as an employer, with workforces that reflect the ethnic diversity of the communities they serve."

He added, "I am proud to announce excellent progress against our ambitious race employment targets. We have achieved considerable success in attaining appropriate representation from black and minority ethnic groups amongst the staff of the Home Office and its agencies.

The Home Office, Immigration Service, Forensic Science Service, UK Passports Agency and the Probation Service have already exceeded their 2009 targets for representation of minority ethnic staff six years early. The Prison Service have met their 2004 milestone two years early. The Police Service narrowly missed their milestone - 3.5 percent of police service staff are from minority ethnic groups against a target of 3.6 percent for 2002. However, the service has travelled a long way since the employment targets were introduced in 1999 and in three years, has increased the number of minority ethnic officers by 33 percent."

The table below shows the percentage of staff from a minority ethnic background in Home Office Service Areas.

Mr Blunkett was speaking at the Network AGM for members in the Home Office and its agencies. The Network works to improve the recruitment, retention and promotion prospects of black and ethnic minority staff in the Home Office and its agencies, and to ensure equality of opportunity for all ethnic minority staff.

Mr Blunkett also re-iterated the importance of the new race agenda he outlined in his address to the Social Market Foundation in June last year. He said "If we are to tackle the problems of racial discrimination in the 21st century we must recognise the new challenges in tackling race inequality and discrimination, and promoting social cohesion.

70% OF ETHNIC POPULATION LIVE IN 88 OF THE MOST DEPRIVED LOCAL AUTHORITY AREAS

He continued, "seventy percent of Britain's ethnic minority population live in the 88 most deprived local authority areas. That means that basic issues of social class - jobs, housing and education - are crucial in the drive to achieve social justice and cohesion. Unless we tackle the poverty and disadvantage that is disproportionately experienced by ethnic minority communities, we will not achieve race equality.

Of course, social and economic disadvantage don't explain the whole story. Prejudice and racism still exist and must also be faced and tackled head on. Inequality and discrimination are taking new, complex, often covert forms. Just as the forms of discrimination change, so must our methods for challenging them."

Mr Blunkett also stressed the importance of tackling racism to ensure strong, cohesive communities. He said: "There is some suggestion that in encouraging strong, cohesive communities that Government has abandoned the race agenda in favour of community cohesion. This is a misunderstanding of the realities of today's Britain. Equality, cohesion and active citizenship go hand in hand.

We recognise that Government and its partner bodies have to change as well. We need to be more outward facing, building networks and partnerships throughout society, not just legislating from the centre and expecting the world to change. Government is an enabler - it cannot create change on its own."

Mr Blunkett concluded, "with a diverse and representative workforce, a reformed Race Equality Unit and a new race equality strategy to be delivered later this year, we can continue the drive towards a society where there is respect for all, regardless of race, colour or creed, and a society which celebrates its cultural richness and ethnic diversity."

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