"I think in many respects there are people who are very high party who would like the Conservative Party to become more modern and feel it is being run by the loony right," he said yesterday.Mr Woodward, who defied his party because he said Section 28 prevented teachers from dealing with homophobic bullying, said yesterday that he had been sacked by pager.In an interview with LBC radio, he said he was told in a meeting with his Chief Whip, James Arbuthnot, that he must support the party or resign. The Tories want to retain the ban on "promotion" of homosexuality by councils and schools and oppose government plans to remove it.Mr Norris said the issue was the only one on which his views differed significantly from the party position and, although important, it was not central to the job of mayor. Steven Norris, front-runner to become the Tories' mayoral candidate, said yesterday he had been assured by senior party figures close to the party leader that his stance on Section 28 of the Local Government Act was not a problem. On Thursday, Shaun Woodward, the Conservatives' London spokesman, was sacked for refusing to back the party line on the issue. WILLIAM HAGUE has given his approval for Tory mayoral candidates to campaign for gay rights, despite sacking a frontbench spokesman for holding the same views against a controversial ban on the "promotion" of homosexuality. Ministers believe employers such as the NHS could learn from the private sector in their attitudes to job-sharing..

A big part of this idea is promotion because we want to build confidence and help women overcome the fear that they have turned into a `cabbage' while taking out a year or two to look after their young children."Ministers are also drawing up a template for job-sharing and flexible employment hours to help working mothers. A government source said: "Our aim is to get the private sector and industry to sign up to the idea of a `Mum's CV' and we are hopeful that they will, because it was business who came up with the idea in the first place."This may sound like a gimmick but it is not. A Mum's CV would emphasise the qualities that mothers have developed whilst at home. Things like the ability to budget, balance household accounts, organise, prioritise and juggle a number of tasks at the same time."The "Mum's CV" would be introduced as a template that mothers could then use when writing up their own CV. Clara Freeman, Marks & Spencer's director of employment and recruitment, said one of the main problems with women's role in the economy was that many were well-educated but ended up being under- employed because they lacked confidence. Baroness Jay of Paddington, the minister for Women, said: "Women perform many roles as mothers that many employers would find invaluable. The idea of a "Mum's CV" was developed after senior industry leaders urged them to "re-badge motherhood as project management". THE GOVERNMENT is drawing up plans to boost women's chances of getting back into work after they have taken time off to have children.

Ministers want to promote the abilities many women acquire in their role as mothers, such as balancing household accounts, organising and prioritising time and conflict management. Under the Race Relations (Amendment) Bill, published yesterday, the existing 1976 Race Relations Act will be extended to cover public authorities, such as the police, the prison service, and mental health carers. But the Commission for Racial Equality, the Government's race watchdog, attacked the proposals, arguing that they were greatly flawed and were likely to lead to only a very small number of successful civil actions.. POLICE OFFICERS who are overtly racist to the public could be sued under proposed changes to the race relations laws announced yesterday,. Black and Asian people who are repeatedly stopped and searched because of their colour, or who suffer racist abuse, will be able to take civil action in the county courts for the first time. Mr Choudhary said: "It arrived with immigrants in about 1960 in Birmingham - which is, and always will be, Britain's balti capital.". Like Cadbury this will enhance the reputation of the whole of Birmingham and not just help the restaurateurs."The exact origins of the balti, which literally means "bucket - the metal dish it is cooked and served in - are still murky, with several restaurants in the city claiming to be the first to have brought the dish over from northern Pakistan.

But only 5 per cent of the mainly affluent mix of professionals, salesmen and students come from outside the region to eat.Now the plan is to transform the area into a prime attraction for tourists and business visitors to the Second City. The council has secured pounds 1.2m from the European urban regeneration budget and has also donated a 4.2- acre plot of land where the visitor centre, hotel and bazaar will be built.Javed Choudhary, secretary of the Asian Balti Restaurant Association, based in Birmingham, said: "This is very exciting and it is going to be absolutely marvellous for the city. New car and coach parks, a bazaar- style ethnic market and an Asian heritage centre are planned to attract daytime visitors. Main routes through the region such as the M6 and A38 will also be adorned with "Balti Bazaar" direction signs.The balti has emerged as a favourite dish of the Midlands' middle classes, but attracts relatively few adherents from further afield.

Research by the consultants Cooper Simms found that restaurants in the Balti Triangle get 11,000 visitors every weekend, who spend a total of more than pounds 80,000. The details, including the name of the development, are still being finalised, but colourful Asian gateways, carved elephants and a minaret are among the suggestions.Also included in the plan are such improvements as brighter street lighting, CCTV and more late-night shopping. The idea was put forward by council chiefs and restaurant owners to try to spice up the image of one of the city's most marketable commodities. It will focus on the so-called "Balti Triangle" of Sparkbrook and Sparkhill, an area that houses some 50 restaurants. And now Birmingham's humble balti curry is preparing for an elaborate makeover. Work will begin early next year on creating the country's first "Balti Quarter", complete with visitor centre, hotel, shops and offices. Men are almost twice as likely to eat out at least every one to two weeks.