THE ministerial group set up after the summer disorder in Burnley, Oldham and Bradford, is to be made permanent, as part of a government drive to try and build community cohesion and to prevent any further racial disturbances.
The group was set up to assist with the Cantel Report.
The public order and community cohesion team is to be given its own special backup of experts while local groups will help the towns draw up community action plans by April 2002.
Announcing the moves, Home Office Minister John Denham said: "Our main proposal is to make community cohesion a central aim of government and ensure the design and delivery of government policy reflects this.
"We also need to identify shared values and common citizenship. These issues are intrinsically difficult and controversial, but we must grapple with it and debate them if we are to make progress.
"These reports must not be allowed to gather dust on the shelves of Whitehall. Reversing the processes which have led to communities becoming increasingly fractured and polarised will not be quick or easy.
"We must have a determination to see it through so that in five or 10 years from now we are not again asking ourselves why young people are so alienated that they wreak havoc in their own towns."
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