In March 2015, the Social Integration Commission, a major independent enquiry into the UK’s increasing diversity, published its third and final report Kingdom United? Thirteen steps to tackle social segregation. In the report, the Commission explores what can be done to promote social mixing between people from different ethnic and age groups and income backgrounds and sets out thirteen principles that should underpin a healthy and well-integrated society.
In October 2014, the Social Integration Commission issued the second of its three reports, entitled Social Integration: A wake-up call. The report revealed the costs to the UK economy today of a lack of social integration, and outlined the long-term consequences if action is not taken to tackle the increasing impact of segregation within our communities.
The Social Integration Commission’s first report How integrated is modern Britain? found that ‘the average Briton has fewer social interactions with people who are different to them than if there was no social segregation by social grade, ethnicity and age’.
The Social Integration Commission was established with three main aims:
- Explore the nature and extent of social contact between people of different ages, ethnicities and social grades
- Assess the impact of social division on the UK economy and society
- Make practical and affordable recommendations across key policy areas