The Government Equalities Office (GEO) sought feedback from individuals and organisations on proposed draft regulations containing the specific duties through which public bodies will meet the general Equality Duty, an important part of the Equality Act 2010 which is due to come into force in April 2011. In its response, CSIE welcomed the proposed emphasis on equality objectives but expressed great concern at the suggestion that public bodies with less than150 employees should not have to report on equality in their workforce. This would affect most schools and could serve to weaken equalities legislation, instead of simplifying and strengthening the law as the Equality Act set out to do. CSIE applauded the suggestion that citizens should be empowered to hold public bodies to account, but stressed that this should be as well as, not instead of, public bodies’ accountability to government departments. CSIE also suggested that, if government departments are no longer required to propose national priorities for their sector and public bodies are invited to select their own priorities, awareness-raising opportunities should be made available on a range of equality issues, so that long-standing misconceptions and prejudice can be seriously addressed. People at risk of discrimination should not have the responsibility for change left solely in their own hands. CSIE conveyed its concern on a range of other issues, such as: proposals to remove the reporting duties with regard to disability equality; the seemingly retrogressive removal of recommendations laid out in the Macpherson report with regard to racial equality; and the lack of any minimum requirements for objectives.
The public sector Equality Duty – Consultation response from CSIE (Word, 104 Kb)
