Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any internship schemes managed by (a) her Department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies are restricted to applicants on the basis of (i) ethnicity, (ii) social class and (iii) both.

In response to part (a) the Home Office does not manage any internship schemes that restrict eligibility based on ethnicity, socioeconomic background, or both.

The Department participates in three cross-government internship programmes managed by other departments:

• The Cabinet Office Summer Internship Programme, which is restricted to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
• The Civil Service Care Leavers Internship Scheme, led by the Department for Education, which is restricted to care leavers.
• Stepping into Communications, a Going Forward in Employment Scheme delivered through Government Communication Service, which is aimed at individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who may face barriers to entering the communications profession.

The Home Office's role is limited to providing placement opportunities through these programmes. None of the schemes are managed by the Department.