English skills are vital for cohesion, the Audit Commission has claimed, backing last week's report from the commission on Integration and Cohesion (CIC). Last week, chair of the CIC Darra Singh, said, after months of consultation and investigation, there were three barriers, which were of ‘real concern'. First came deprivation, and second, competition for shared resources. But the largest barrier was not speaking English. The Audit Commission has backed the CIC. Its findings echoes its January report Crossing borders, which found English aided integration and reduced exploitation in the workplace (The MJ, 1 February 2007). ‘The single most useful thing local agencies and employers can do is make it easier for migrant workers to speak better English,' said chief executive, Steve Bundred.
