The government published a guide designed to assist teachers, mentors and other helpers of people seeking British citizenship, by providing a 'better knowledge of our way of life'.
Source: Life in the United Kingdom: A journey to citizenship, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Summary | IRR statement | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
A new official advisory board, the Advisory Board on Naturalisation and Integration, was established to provide independent advice to the government on its citizenship and integration programme.
Source: Press release 19 November 2004, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Home Office press release
Date: 2004-Nov
The government announced a series of measures aimed at reducing the number of forced marriages. It included a new joint Home Office-Foreign Office Forced Marriage Unit; a consultation on whether to create a specific criminal offence of forcing someone into marriage; forced marriage to be targeted as a specific abuse in the context of safeguarding the welfare of children; and the minimum age for marriage entry immigration clearance to be raised from 16 to 18.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 27 October 2004, columns 49WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 27 October 2004, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Oct
A working paper considered the challenges and opportunities created by the civil renewal agenda for improving racial equality.
Source: Rob Berkeley, Civil Renewal for All: Delivering civil renewal in a multi-ethnic Britain, Runnymede Trust (020 7377 9222)
Links: Working paper (pdf)
Date: 2004-Sep
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that Britain was rediscovering a sense of national identity, based on the values of liberty, tolerance, social justice and adaptability, which would allow the country to embrace multiculturalism and the challenges of the global economy.
Source: Gordon Brown MP (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Annual British Council Lecture 7 July 2004
Links: Text of speech | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
A briefing paper provided a report of progress towards a multi-ethnic Britain since an earlier report in 2000.
Source: Realising the Vision, Runnymede Trust (020 7377 9222)
Links: No link
Date: 2004-Apr
A discussion paper considered the ideas of citizenship, community and social capital, and the related ideas of civic renewal and responsibility, and applied them to the position of ethnic and cultural minorities. It concluded that those concerned about racial equality, and the position of minorities in society more generally, should not only challenge discrimination and hostility wherever it occurred, but also take an active part in policy debates on wider issues such as child poverty, healthcare reform, education, policing, housing and urban regeneration.
Source: David Faulkner, Civil Renewal, Diversity and Social Capital in a Multi-Ethnic Britain, Runnymede Trust (020 7377 9222)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jan