Research examined the public appointments process in Scotland in relation to diversity, and made recommendations for improving the process to help produce a more diverse range of candidates.
Source: Reid Howie Associates Ltd, Diversity in the Public Appointments Process in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Summary
Date: 2003-Oct
The government said that it had decided (following consultation) to establish a single equality body incorporating the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission. It said the new body would provide an 'effective and flexible framework' for supporting equality legislation as well as underlining the importance of equality as a mainstream concern. The working title of the new body would be the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. The Disability Rights Commission broadly welcomed the new commission, but raised concerns over 'unresolved' issues concerning the commission's structure. The Equal Opportunities Commission warned that a single equality and human rights body that was not backed up by stronger laws on sex equality would send a message to women that sex equality was not regarded as a priority. The Commission for Racial Equality said it welcomed the new commission, provided it had the power, the resources and the will to address race equality issues vigorously.
Source: Equality Institutions Review: A Commission for Equality and Human Rights, Women and Equality Unit/Department of Trade and Industry (0845 001 0029) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 30 October 2003, columns 17-19WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 30 October 2003, Disability Rights Commission (08457 622633) | Press release 29 October 2003, Equal Opportunities Commission (0161 833 9244) | Statement 30 October 2003, Commission for Racial Equality (020 7939 0000)
Links: Report | Hansard | DTI press release | DRC press release | EOC press release | CRE statement | Stonewall press release | Mind press release | Age Concern press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Oct
A survey examined public attitudes towards discrimination. Most people (68 per cent) said that Scotland should do all that it could to get rid of all kinds of prejudice, while 26 per cent said there was sometimes good reason to be prejudiced. 56 per cent said there was a great deal of prejudice in Scotland against people from different racial or ethnic backgrounds, while 49 per cent said the same about gay men and lesbians, 31 per cent about disabled people, and 20 per cent about women. Discriminatory attitudes were least likely to be expressed by those who were educationally well qualified, and most likely to be expressed by those aged 65 and over.
Source: Catherine Bromley and John Curtice, Attitudes to Discrimination in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | Summary | SE press release | BBC report
Date: 2003-Sep
The Equal Opportunities Commission said that a more equal society would improve everybody's quality of life, increase prosperity, strengthen democracy, and improve public services. It criticised the government's failure to change the law so that public bodies were required to promote sex equality.
Source: The EOC s Vision for Equality, Equal Opportunities Commission (0161 833 9244)
Links: Report (pdf) | EOC press release
Date: 2003-Sep
A report highlighted recent initiatives by employers towards creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce; examined the nature of the forces driving these initiatives; and underlined good practices and the lessons learnt from them.
Source: Amin Rajan and Sharon Harris, Workforce Diversity to Raise the Bottom Line, Centre for Research in Employment and Technology in Europe (01892 526757)
Links: Personnel Today article (1) | Personnel Today article (2) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Sep
A coalition of organisations was formed - called the Equalities Coalition - to foster debate and facilitate contacts, in the context of changes to equality legislation and machinery. It was intended to provide a forum for a broad debate on the future of equalities (including age, disability, gender, race, religion/belief, and sexual orientation).
Source: Bulletin 335, September 2003, Runnymede Trust (020 7377 9222)
Links: Equalities Commission website
Date: 2003-Sep
The government published draft regulations which would outlaw discrimination and harassment on grounds of religion or belief and sexual orientation by trustees and managers of occupational pension schemes.
Source: Draft Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 (Amendment) Regulations 2003, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500) | Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 (Amendment) Regulations 2003, Department of Trade and Industry
Links: Draft regulations (religion/belief) (pdf) | Draft regulations (sexual orientation) (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
The public appointments commissioner said that the standard of appointments to public bodies had improved in 2002-03.
Source: Eighth Report 2002-03, Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (020 7276 2625)
Links: Report (pdf) | OCPA press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jul
The Charity Commission announced that it would accept the promotion of equality and diversity as a new charitable aim in its own right.
Source: Press release 17.7.03, Charity Commission for England and Wales (0870 333 0123)
Links: Charity Commission press release
Date: 2003-Jul
A committee of MPs said that new appointments procedures for public bodies established in the 1990s (based on merit and subject to independent scrutiny) had led to a 'considerable' overall improvement in the public appointments system. It made a series of recommendations designed to further improve the resilience and integrity of the process. It said that diversity on public bodies needed to be increased.
Source: Government by Appointment: Opening up the patronage state, Fourth Report (Session 2002-03), HC 165-I, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Jul
Draft regulations were published which would (from December 2003) outlaw discrimination in employment on the grounds of sexual orientation, religion or belief. A committee of MPs said that the regulations should not be approved until further scrutiny, because of doubts over the legality of provisions allowing discrimination against gay people by religious employers. However, the regulations were subsequently approved by MPs.
Source: The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, Statutory Instrument 2003/1661, TSO (0870 600 5522) | The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, Statutory Instrument 2003/1660,TSO | Twenty-First Report (Session 2002-03), HC 96-xxi and HL 116, Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments (House of Commons and House of Lords), TSO | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 25.6.03, columns 1177-1180, TSO
Links: Sex orientation regulations | Religion/belief regulations | Joint Committee report | Hansard | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Jun
A think tank said that an integrated human rights and equality commission was the preferable option for reform. It also called for a wider interpretation of 'public authority' by the courts, supported by legislative change.
Source: Inquiry into the Definition of Public Authority: Implications for the application of the Human Rights Act, British Institute of Human Rights/King's College London (020 7401 2712)
Links: Report 1 (pdf) | Report 2 (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
A literature review examined how local authorities in England had dealt with issues of equality and diversity. Three themes were covered: representation and participation, employment, and services.
Source: Sarah Morgan, Equality and Diversity in Local Government in England: Literature review, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2003-May
A report addressed the issue of how mainstreaming equal opportunities could be instigated and sustained in the work of government and public bodies in Scotland.
Source: Fiona Mackay and Kate Bilton, Learning from Experience: Lessons in mainstreaming equal opportunities, Scottish Executive, available from Institute of Governance/University of Edinburgh (0131 650 2456)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-May
A briefing paper examined definitions of 'equal opportunities' and 'diversity'. It said clear official definitions of these terms would assist the development of a common understanding of equal opportunities and diversity and lead to improved organisational outcomes.
Source: Sandra Sanglin-Grant, Divided by the Same Language?: Equal opportunities and diversity, Runnymede Trust (020 7377 9222)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Apr
The Welsh Assembly Government launched a national action plan for a bilingual Wales. The plan aims to support and build upon language use amongst businesses, communities and individuals.
Source: Iaith Pawb: National Action Plan for a Bilingual Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 6028)
Links: Plan (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
The Commission for Racial Equality said (responding to a government consultation) that it supported the establishment of a 'flexible, dynamic and well-resourced' single equality body: but it argued against a 'big bang' approach to the introduction of the new body.
Source: Making it Happen: Response, Commission for Racial Equality (020 7939 0000)
Links: Response (Word file) | Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A survey found that many organisations fail to monitor the diversity of either internal or external job applicants, thus increasing the risk of discrimination claims.
Source: Recruitment and Selection, MBP99, Work Foundation (0870 165 6700)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A report described the work of the Scottish Executive in implementing its equality strategy for women, racial and ethnic minorities and disabled people.
Source: Making Progress: Equality Annual Report, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Feb
Campaigners argued that the link between equality and human rights needs to be examined further before rational decisions can be made about the form of any single equality body.
Source: Equality and Diversity: Making it happen - A JUSTICE response, JUSTICE (020 7329 5100)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
The Disability Rights Commission (an official advisory body) reportedly criticised the idea of a single equality body responsible for countering all types of discrimination.
Source: The Guardian, 21.2.03
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2003-Feb
A survey of central and local government, the National Health Service and the criminal justice system (conducted in 2001) found that 94 per cent of organisations had diversity policy statements covering race, gender and disability; and that 95 per cent of those also included policy on religion, sexual orientation, age and nationality.
Source: Penny Tamkin et al., Review of Training in Racism Awareness and Valuing Cultural Diversity, On-line Report 09/02, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report (pdf) | Appendices (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Feb
The proportion of those holding public appointments who are from minority ethnic backgrounds increased in 2002 from 4.8 per cent to 6.2 per cent. Those with a disability increased from 1.5 per cent to 3.3 per cent. The proportion who are women remained unchanged at 34 per cent.
Source: Public Bodies 2002, Cabinet Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jan
A research report examined comparative models of single equality bodies in other countries, including Australia, the United States and Northern Ireland. It concluded that single equality legislation is needed to ensure that a single equality body tackles discrimination in a consistent way.
Source: Colm O'Cinneide, A Single Equality Body: Lessons from abroad, Working Paper Series 4, Equal Opportunities Commission (0845 601 5901)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jan
The interim report was published (for consultation) of an independent panel examining the issue of citizenship. It recommended that citizenship should be granted to those applicants who can demonstrate that their English has progressed and are able to answer questions on living in the United Kingdom.
Source: Life in the United Kingdom Advisory Group, The New and the Old: The interim report for consultation, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | Press release
Date: 2003-Jan