Public Sector Failing to Implement Race Equality Law
Raekha Prasad
The Guardian 07/03/2003
Almost a third of public bodies in Britain have yet to implement new race equality obligations, with the NHS the worst offender, according to a commission for racial equality (CRE) report published today.
Under the amended Race Relations Act, all 43,000 listed public authorities, including councils, NHS trusts and government departments, must take account of racial equality in their day-to-day work. They are required to set out employment practices, policies and services to improve equality.
The CRE was given power to enforce the law last May.
Of the 1,500 bodies that responded to the survey, 30% have yet to set targets in areas such as changes in workforce representation, service user and employee satisfaction.
The deadline for meeting the duties of the act was May last year. Across all sectors, targets around staffing were most likely to have been addressed.
Trevor Phillips, chairman of the CRE said: "The fact that a significant minority appear to be sitting on their hands means that if we are to reduce inequality we have to turn up the heat on some of the slow coaches. Good intentions are no longer enough. We need to see change."
The report, Towards Racial Equality, found that progress in the health sector was "less advanced" than any other group.
Just 23% of NHS trusts, primary care trusts, strategic health authorities and other bodies had taken the "first step" of identifying which of their functions and policies are relevant to race equality.
This compared with 55% of schools and half of criminal justice and policing bodies who had completed the task.
In addition, the number of health trusts who had fully trained staff to implement the duty was only 1% compared to 10% of police bodies.
The report said the lack of progress within the sector may reflect "the extent of organisational changes that have taken place over the next year."
Almost 70% of public bodies said that the duty had positive benefits on their work, including their services and employment practices.
Local government was found to have a "particularly encouraging" response to the survey with a "good" level of activity in relation to the duty. London boroughs were most likely to have prioritised functions relevant to race equality.
The CRE has issued only one compliance notice against a public body for failing to meet the duty.
Home Office minister, Fiona Mactaggart said: "I was pleased that so many authorities reported positive benefits. If there's enthusiasm for doing the job, this will help achieve what the government intended."