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UK must take action on racial disparity, says Theresa May UK must act against race inequality, Theresa May says
(about 2 hours later)
Theresa May is to challenge society over differences in how public services treat people of different races. Theresa May is to challenge public services over how they treat people of different races.
The prime minister is to say the government and institutions must "explain or change" the differences. The prime minister says institutions must "explain or change" any variations when data is released later on Tuesday.
An "unprecedented" audit pulls together data on how people of all ethnicities are treated in areas including health, education, and criminal justice. It is expected to show unemployment for black, Asian and minority ethnic people at nearly double that of white British adults, and disparity in who owns their own home.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission called for a "coherent race equality strategy" from government. Critics say it is a "crude" approach that risks making a grievance culture.
The prime minister will launch a website later containing the data, compiled from across the UK government.The prime minister will launch a website later containing the data, compiled from across the UK government.
The government says the figures released at 12:30 BST will suggest:The government says the figures released at 12:30 BST will suggest:
"People who have lived with discrimination don't need a government audit to make them aware of the scale of the challenge," Mrs May will say."People who have lived with discrimination don't need a government audit to make them aware of the scale of the challenge," Mrs May will say.
"But this audit means that for society as a whole - for government, for our public services - there is nowhere to hide.""But this audit means that for society as a whole - for government, for our public services - there is nowhere to hide."
David Isaac, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said the data must be used "to set the foundations for real change" and address the "entrenched inequality" revealed by the audit. Almost all the data released on the website 'Ethnicity Facts and Figures' is already publicly available and no new data was commissioned for the audit.
Simon Woolley, director of Operation Black Vote, praised Mrs May's "desire to grapple with the scourge of racism", adding: "unless these things are laid bare we can't begin to resolve them." The site aims to be user-friendly, highlighting disparities between ethnic groups, some by age or gender, location or income, BBC home editor Mark Easton said.
Pupil exclusion review But it will not attempt to explain why these differences exist.
'Grievance culture' risk
But critics from ethnic minority backgrounds, including former deputy London mayor Munira Mirza, in a letter to The Times, said the "crude and tendentious" approach of comparing the data in the website risked "promoting a grievance culture and policies that harm the communities they aspire to help".
They said prejudice had declined "markedly" and while injustice must be challenged, there were often many underlying factors to explain differences.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid denied the data would drive a grievance culture but said it would help identify disparities.
"There are hundreds of thousands of British Pakistani women and Bangladeshi women who don't speak proper English, who don't speak English at all," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"That might be through choice in some cases, it might be a cultural issue. But that is a big issue because that does then hold those women back from the employment market and other opportunities", he said.
David Isaac, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said the data must be used to set the foundations for change and address "entrenched inequality".
Help 'hotspots'
Although the audit will not focus on government policies, Mrs May will launch a number of measures to combat the differences discovered.Although the audit will not focus on government policies, Mrs May will launch a number of measures to combat the differences discovered.
Under the plans, 20 hotspots for the Department for Work and Pensions will be highlighted to help people from ethnic minorities get jobs. They include Department for Work and Pensions "hotspots" to help people from ethnic minorities get jobs, and traineeships for 16-24 year-olds.
Measures could include mentoring schemes, traineeships for 16-24 year-olds, and offering English and Maths qualifications alongside vocational training. Have you ever felt your race has affected your chances in education, the criminal justice system or other public services? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your story.
The Ministry of Justice will also adopt recommendations from the Lammy Review including making prisons have performance indicators to assess how prisoners are treated. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
It will also be made to publish all criminal justice data held on ethnicity and improve the recruitment, retention and progress of ethnic minority staff. Or use the form below
A review of pupil exclusion in schools will be announced with a focus on those most likely to be affected.