Communities will continue to live apart if plans to cut free English classes go ahead, a leading politician fears.

Pendle peer and councillor Lord Tony Greaves said the Government would undermine schemes to encourage social integration if it pressed ahead with plans to cut free English classes.

Lord Greaves was speaking in the House of Lords about the changes to the provision of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL).

He said if the Government restricted free classes to the unemployed and people on benefits, low paid migrant workers, ethnic minorities and non-employed people such as housewives and carers would lose out.

Lord Greaves said many women from ethnic minority backgrounds who lived in homes where English was not the first language and many Asian women attend ESOL classes.

He said: "The Nelson and Colne experience in the past few years is that an increasing number of women of all ages have attended ESOL classes.

"Some are young marrieds, fresh over from the Indian subcontinent; others are mothers who have been over for 30 years, have never found the opportunity or necessity to learn English but have now plucked up the courage to go to ESOL classes.

"Many of these women have been very brave. They have overcome the great reluctance - and in some cases opposition - of many of the men-folk in their families."

Lord Greaves asked the Government to rethink its proposals.