A GOVERNMENT minister praised the diversity and integration in Bradford during a visit to the city today.

Stephen Williams, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, met 50 women who are originally from Pakistan, India and Kurdistan who now live in the Bradford district who have taken part in an English speaking course.

The group of 50 women were handed certificates for completing the ten-week Government-funded course at the QED Foundation, Vicar Lane, Bradford.

The Quest for Integration (Yorkshire) course offers English language and integration training to 300 eligible women, who have been in then country for less than ten years and do not speak English.

The project is aimed at aiding better integration into mainstream economic and social activity.

It looks to improve communication skills and helps develop language skills based around everyday live including personal finance, shopping and bills.

Quest for Integration (Yorkshire) project is funded in partnership with the European Integration Fund.

Across England, 1.7 per cent of the population have either no, or poor spoken English.

A high proportion of these people are British women from the Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Somali communities.

During his visit, Mr Williams also went to the Shree Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple, Leeds Road, Bradford, took a tour of Bradford Cathedral with the Dean of Bradford, the Very Reverend Jerry Lepine and rounded off with a trip to Near Neighbours Touchstone.

He said: "Projects like these are about bringing people closer together, whatever their background.

"Everyone here is British and everyone in this city is a Bradfordian.

"If you can make integration work in a place as diverse as Bradford, you can make it work anywhere.

"I'm looking forward to seeing more of Bradford during this visit. It is the first time I have been here.

"I want everyone to fully integrate in the British way of life, to really enjoy being a British citizen.

"Absolutely key to that is being confident in speaking English. That's the most important thing.

"One of the aspects of my job is integration.

"Learning English should be a priority for everyone living in Britain and I’m pleased that the women attending courses at the QED foundation have taken their first steps towards learning our language.

"Being able to speak English can change lives – it helps people to make friends and build strong ties with their local communities, take informed decisions about health and education and open the door to the workplace."

One of the women the course has helped out is Mumtaz Butt, 49.

She arrived in the UK three years ago from Pakistan and has now passed Entry 2 and 3 ESOL examination in UK.

She said: "I want to improve my English speaking. I can now understand the British accent and I want to learn English as much as I can even at my ages."