£50m boost for civic pride drive

Councils will get £50m to help meet migration challenges

A £50m action plan to boost community cohesion and civic pride has been announced by the government.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears says the cash will help councils across England promote integration and prevent local tensions.

It follows a Commission on Integration and Cohesion report which urged councils to identify areas where mass immigration may unsettle residents.

Key proposals include cultural briefing packs for newly-arrived migrants.

'Citizen Days'

The packs would set out a series of rights and responsibilities, give details of national laws and local traditions and outline British cultural "norms".

The Government has accepted many of the Commission's recommendations, including specialist integration teams to support areas experiencing strain.

Other plans include new "Citizen Days" across England and cutting the translation budgets of public bodies to reinvest in English classes.

New investment will help spread a stronger sense of civic pride and shared heritage Communities Secretary Hazel Blears

Councils will receive the £50m over three years and can spend it addressing particular local challenges.

Among the suggested activities are youth projects, twinning programmes for places of worship and conflict resolution schemes.

British values

Ms Blears said: "Our plan includes a comprehensive set of measures to tackle the new issues we face and promote integration and develop strong, resilient communities.

"It will promote our shared British values like respect for the rule of law, tolerance and fairness. New investment will help spread a stronger sense of civic pride and shared heritage."

The Government's annual citizenship survey, published on Thursday, showed that 85% of people in England and Wales feel they belong strongly to Britain and 81% believe people from different backgrounds get along well in their area.

But it also revealed that 56% feel there is more racial prejudice in Britain than five years ago.