Catalogue description Home Office: Immigration and Community Relations (ICR Symbol Series) Files

The inclusion of a date following a file number (eg. ICR 12/2/21(68)) indicates the year in which the file is supposed to have been created, but often it only indicates the year in which the first subfile was raised on a particular subject.

In 1969, following the Local Government Grants (Social Need) Act 1969, the Urban Programme was set up. This aimed to help local authorities which had areas within their boundaries with problems of special social need and to direct funds where they were most needed.

Section 11 grants were administered by the Community Relations Department (I Division) of the Home Office which was renamed the Community Programmes Department in 1972. I Division had responsibility for policy on community relations and race relations and, as well as being responsible for Section 11 grants and the Urban Programme, was also responsible for the administration of the Community Development Project.

In 1974 the Urban Deprivation Unit was set up as a multi-disciplinary unit, including economists, statisticians and a social policy analyst. Its main function was preparing for the Policy Analysis and Review on urban deprivation. In 1975/1976 it became part of the Community Programmes Department and took over responsibility for Section 11 grants, the Urban Programme and the Community Development Project.

The Urban Deprivation Unit was abolished in 1978/1979 although Section 11 grants continued to be administered within the Home Office.