Equality and Human Rights Commission

1. Equality and Human Rights Commission Neil Martin Regional Advisor, Yorkshire & Humber

2. The Commission’s remit • reduce inequality and discrimination in all its forms • promote and protect human rights, and • strengthen good relations

3. EHRC work • Equality Bill • Human Rights Inquiry & Strategy • Legal cases – BNP • Research – migrant workers & social housing • Guidance – Challenging organised racial hatred • Inquiries – targeted violence & harassment of disabled people • Strategic Funding Programme • Good Relations Measurement Framework • Triennial Review • Regional work & priorities

4. The Equality Bill • Declutter the law on equality – • Currently 9 major pieces of legislation • About 100 statutory instruments • more than 2,500 pages of guidance & statutory codes of practice. • Ensure public services are responsive to the needs of communities and promote equality • Ensure greater transparency • Election?

5. Equality Bill • Protected characteristics • Age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation • Dual discrimination clause • Public sector duties • Socio-economic duty • Procurement • Positive discrimination • Gender pay gap & pay reporting

6. Public Sector Duty • A public authority must have due regard to the need to: • eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation • advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it • foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it • Having due regard to foster good relations involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to • tackle prejudice, and • promote understanding • A person who is not a public authority but who exercises public functions must, in the exercise of those functions, have due regard to the duties

7. Public Sector Duty • Focus on outcomes • Equality Impact Assessments • Specific duties: • Secondary legislation • GEO consultation

8. Socio-economic Duty • Strategic public authorities to consider socioeconomic disadvantage in: • Planning & • monitoring of the services • Tackle some of most deep rooted discrimination

9. Equality Bill – Key Dates • Bill in House of Lords Committee stage • Spring 2010 • expect to be enacted • Summer 2010 • GEO consultations on secondary legislation • October 2010 • Commencement employment & services / public functions • April 2011 • Commencement Public Sector Equality Duty / procurement • Current duties still apply

10. Equality Bill – EHRC Guidance • Non Statutory Guidance • What’s New In the Act • Employment Guidance for Employers & Employees • Services and Public Functions Guidance for Providers & Users • The Equality Act for Public Bodies • Equality in the Public Sector for Individuals, Private and Third Sector Organisations

11. Equality Bill – EHRC Guidance • Codes of Practice • Employment & Occupation • Services & Public Functions • Equal Pay • Education • Public Sector Equality Duty • Consultation • www.equalityhumanrights.com/legislative-framework/equality-bill/equality-bill-consultations/ • Non-Statutory Guidance consultation event 31st March 2010

12. Contacts Yorkshire & Humber: neil.martin@equalityhumanrights.com Tel: 0113 3412694 khalida.ashrafi@equalityhumanrights.com michaela.bartlett@equalityhumanrights.com Helpline: 0845 6046610

13. ‘Building a society built on fairness and respect where people are confident in all aspects of their diversity.’