The Opposition have requested that today's debate be devoted mainly to the question of the Crisis in the Cities, which affects many Departments, but the Home Secretary has been given a special function in relation to them.

At a time when there is an urgent Crisis in the Cities, we have had from the Secretary of State for the Home Department a series of promises about investigations, about the setting up of research and working parties small and large.

But while those issues, problems and crises are general to all cities, I want to deal now almost exclusively with the problems endured by those families who share the general disadvantages of the Cities Crisis but also have many additional problems which are theirs almost as historic destiny.

The coloured population is disproportionatelyinvolved in the Crisis in Our Cities.