Race Equality Scheme - consultation action plan

Report: 11
Date: 04 July 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

This report informs members about the further programme of consultation planned for the MPA Race Equality Scheme

A. Recommendations

1. the Committee agrees the programme of further consultation on the Race Equality Scheme.

B. Supporting information

The MPA Race Equality Scheme was published on the MPA website on 31 May 2002. The formal launch of the scheme will take place on 4 July 2002 at 6.00 p.m. in Westminster Council Chamber, 97-117 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5PT.

Some limited consultation took place during the development of the scheme. The Commission for Racial Equality has accepted that in order to meet the deadline for publication, authorities may need to consult more fully after publication. The Authority was asked at its last meeting to agree to initial publication and for further consultation to take place after publication, followed by a further update of the scheme in October. As well as allowing for the more detailed consultation, the scheme can be updated in the light of the establishment of the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board, committee restructuring and implementation of other proposed arrangements within the scheme.

This report outlines the proposed consultation action plan.

To date, meetings have been held with representatives of Racial Equality Councils, the Black Londoners Forum, the London Civic Forum, Community and Police Consultative Groups, the Action Group for Irish Youth and the Greater London Authority. In addition to this, the consultation draft was sent to around 80 community organisations, academics and the media.

The further programme will focus upon the priority groups as listed in the scheme and identified through the GLA Equalities for All Review. These are:

• Young people
• Minority ethnic communities
• Disabled people
• Older people
• People without permanent homes
• Lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and people of transgender
• Faith groups
• Refugee and asylum seekers

In addition to these, further internal consultation will be carried out, particularly with staff and staff associations and senior MPS personnel within the MPA and MPS.

Specific details of the external consultation processes have yet to be concluded. Some of the measures that officers are working on include arranging specific meetings with the organisations and networks representing the priority groups, developing a summary for and involving children through the Office for Children's Rights, pursuing channels for radio and other media debate, and working with other agencies with whom the MPA will seek to collaborate e.g. the Greater London Authority Group, Association of Police Authorities and Association of London Government, etc.

The consultation will seek to explore:

• what role individuals and community organisations can play in supporting the MPA in fulfilling the general duty of the Act;
• whether the MPA has selected the appropriate functional and policy impact assessment priorities in its draft Action Plan;
• how the MPA should seek to measure success on race equality issues in the MPA and MPS;
• how to engage the priority groups more effectively.

The programme of consultation and feedback will take place between July and October.

Members are asked to comment on the approach to consultation on the Race Equality Scheme.

C. Financial implications

The consultation programme, involving a series of small meetings, will be funded from existing budgets.

D. Background papers

• MPA/MPS Best Value Review of Consultation
• GLA Equalities for all Review

E. Contact details

Report author: Jude Sequeira, CDO, MPA.

For information contact:

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

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