Race Relations Amendment Act update

Report: 13
Date: 15 November 2001
By: Clerk

Summary

This paper outlines initial issues identified in producing a Race Equality Scheme in compliance with the Race Relations Amendment Act.

A. Recommendation

1. To agree that consideration be given to producing a single Race Equality Scheme covering the MPA and MPS, subject to further assessment as well as discussion with the MPS and Commission for Race Equality (CRE).

B. Supporting information

1. The Race Relations Amendment Act requires public sector organisations, including the police, to develop a Race Equality Scheme to challenge racial discrimination and promote race equality.

2. The CRE is to issue a revised Code of Practice on the Act for organisations to use in December. One particular issue that we have sought to clarify at this stage is whether both the police authority and the police service i.e. the MPA and MPS, are required to produce and publish their own schemes. The MPA has the duty to promote equal opportunities in the police service. However, in relation to the RRA Act, Chief Police Officers will be held vicariously responsible for discriminatory or racist actions committed by any of their officers.

3. Work towards compliance had begun on the basis that separate schemes would be required. The MPS has set up a Race Relations (Amendment) Act Steering Committee, which has met once, comprising officers from across the organisation and some external representatives such as the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) and Commission for Race Equality (CRE) as well as the MPA. The MPA meanwhile has also set up a working group. This group has also met once and includes MPA members and officers, MPS officers and external parties such as the Greater London Authority (GLA) and CRE.

4. This report proposes that the two organisations consider producing a single scheme in the event that major areas for collaboration are identified and in order to reduce a duplicity of effort and fully enabling MPA scrutiny of the MPS in line with its duty. By a single scheme, we include appropriate scope for separate sections, actions and targets to be identified for the MPA and MPS, but a single scheme will also reduce the scope for gaps arising in the review of certain joint functions, such as the development of a policing plan, best value reviews, budget planning, etc.

5. The CRE view is that separate schemes are produced for each organisation. However, the MPS has suggested that it too would favour one scheme. A proposal on how this could work is outlined below.

Who approves the Scheme?

6. A proposed decision-making tree is shown in Appendix 1. This puts the Full Authority in the position of endorsing the scheme(s). The 'MPS Steering Group' is retained to deal with the detailed work and discussion. The 'MPA Working Group' evolves into a joint 'project board' and directs the 'Steering Group', agrees a project management plan, and proposes the priorities e.g. the order of assessment of the various functions. Names of the groups can be changed accordingly. The 'Project Board' will submit a draft scheme for consideration to MPA committees, the Commissioner and other relevant MPS management teams. Revisions will be made once these bodies have commented on the draft involving, as far as is practicable, all relevant parties. A final version will be submitted, first to the CDO committee as the committee with delegated responsibility over this issue, but with reference to HR Committee members, and then as a joint report of the Clerk and Commissioner to the Full Authority.

What will the scheme contain?

7. In advance of the Code of Practice but to give members a feel for what is to be produced, it is envisaged that the Scheme will contain the following sections:

1. Objectives/Principles that the MPA/MPS seek to pursue around race equality.
2. A list of the functions and policies to be assessed.
3. An order and timescale for assessment of each function/policy.
4. The arrangements to review assessments.
5. A current position statement followed by objectives/targets and an action plan dealing with:
   1. Access and information issues
   2. Staffing issues
   3. Training and awareness issues.
6. Arrangements by which the community will be involved in the above.
7. Arrangements by which the scheme will be communicated internally and externally.

8. Members will note that the scheme mainly sets out a plan and that the detailed assessments and reviews will take place post-publication of an approved scheme. The MPS, seeking to take a proactive approach and to fulfil other requirements around race equality in which it has been involved, has already commenced some reviews. These it will continue.

9. Members are asked to comment on the approach of a single scheme and the decision process outlined. It is not proposed that members commit to a single approach at this stage but that the project board, if approved, makes a decision on this when the issue has been further assessed.

Functional Bodies

10. Each of the functional bodies face the same obligations under the Act. MPA staff will be discussing with staff from the GLA and other functional bodies whether an alignment of schemes within the GLA family should be sought. The Best Value Review of Equalities should inform functional bodies on this matter but this is yet to be completed. Members should therefore note that a joint functional body approach to the development of race equality schemes in the GLA may have a slight bearing upon the processes proposed in this report. In this event, the Project Board would be asked to consider this.

C. Financial implications

It is estimated that 3 to 4 working group and steering group meetings will be required leading up to endorsement of the scheme. The working group will need to consider community involvement within the drafting process and this may incur an expense if a focus group or workshop is held. Any such expenditure will be contained within existing resources. An estimate of the costs of the scheme e.g. publication, reviews etc. will be provided when the draft scheme is submitted for approval by Full Authority.

D. Background papers

Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 – proposals for implementation.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Jude Sequeira, MPA.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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