The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 came into force on 10 September 2011, following debates in the House of Commons on 11 July and the House of Lords on 6 September.
The Explanatory Memorandum that accompanies the regulations includes a summary of responses to both the consultation and the policy review, and sets out the decisions taken and the rationale for them.
The regulations set out specific duties imposed on listed public bodies to enable those public bodies to carry out the public sector Equality Duty more effectively. They are designed to ensure that public bodies are transparent about their compliance with the Equality Duty. By publishing information about their equality performance and objectives, public bodies will be accountable to the people and communities they serve.
The specific duties require public bodies to publish:
- information to demonstrate their compliance with the Equality Duty, by 31 January 2012 ( 6 April 2012 for schools) and then at least annually, and
- equality objectives, by 6 April 2012 and then at least every four years.
The Government Equalities Office will be publishing on its website a quick start guide to the specific duties for public bodies.
Voluntary and community sector organisations (VCSOs) will have a significant role to play in helping public bodies achieve transparency and accountability for their performance on equality. The Government Equalities Office is developing a toolkit to help VCSOs use the public sector Equality Duty more effectively to engage with public bodies on equality issues and hold them to account for their equality performance.
Click here for link to Regulations
Click here for Explanatory Memorandum
Click here for further information on the public sector Equality Duty and the specific duties
