Examination of Witnesses (Questions 200
- 205)
WEDNESDAY 12 MAY 2004
MR ADRIAN
ARBUTHNOT, MR
JIM STRAIN
AND MR
KEN FRASER
Q200 Mr Pound: That is useful. It
is just that the raw data we had simply lumped them together and
I assumed that they were criminal incidents. That is very helpful.
Could you have a word about the community safety partnerships?
Do you envisage an expanded role for the CSPs?
Mr Arbuthnot: Yes, I think the
safety partnerships are still very much in their infancy, but
they are a very important key role in the overall criminal justice
system. Therefore I would see the role of those partnerships developing
and particularly developing in respect of hate crime. That is
a specific role that they have and as recently as yesterday, or
possibly the day before, grants were given out to certain groups
by our community safety unit for special initiatives to promote
community safety, particularly in relation to hate crime.
Mr Campbell: Do you think that you could
provide, or would it be the police, the evidence of the 226 you
said you did not currently have information about? Can you supply
that to us, or would we need to get that from the police?
Chairman: We can sort that out.
Q201 Mr Campbell: I referred earlier
to sensationalism and sometimes the clarification of a figure
can prove to be somewhat illuminating. I just want to ask two
questions on government strategies to deal with hate crime. What
is the status of the government's race equality strategy?
Mr Fraser: The race equality strategy
which covers the full range of issues which may impact upon minority
ethnic people in Northern Ireland was developed within a Promoting
Social Inclusion working group which included representatives
from minority ethnic communities and the community and voluntary
sector as well as government departments. It was put out to consultation
last year on 25 February. The consultation period was extended
to allow focused, targeted consultation with minority ethnic communities
as well as the public at large. We have been analysing the input
from the consultation and are busy re-drafting the race equality
strategy. We anticipate that the race equality strategy should
be published some time this summer. The minister has committed
himself to publishing it this summer. Within the race equality
strategy we will develop, through the race equality forum which
has been set up to monitor and oversee the implementation of the
race equality strategy, an implementation action plan to take
the strategy forward, an implementation action plan which will
initially be for government departments but which we hope might
be extended to others within Northern Ireland society. It is fair
to say that it dawned on us at a fairly early stage of drafting
this that minority ethnic people on the street did not really
care about the constitutional arrangements, whether a matter was
excepted [as defined within the Northern Ireland Act 1998], reserved
or devolved for that matter. I am pleased to say that the race
equality strategy will cover both Home Office matters, Northern
Ireland Office matters and those which are for the Northern Ireland
Administration. The race equality forum will also have representatives
from the Home Office and from the Northern Ireland Office as well
as the Northern Ireland Administration sitting on it and it will
have representatives from a wide range of minority ethnic groups
and from the community and voluntary sector and key agencies such
as PSNI, the Equality Commission and the Northern Ireland Human
Rights Commission.
Q202 Mr Campbell: Quite apart from
the intended impact one would presume of trying to deal with hate
crime and reduce it, what other impacts would you see the strategy
having on the wider community in Northern Ireland and dealing
with hate crime?
Mr Fraser: As the memorandum said
which the NIO and OFMDFM submitted jointly the key response for
government is the criminal justice response. Of course there is
a wide range of equality issues, confidence building issues around
this, letting minority people have access to the services to which
they are entitled, encouraging and allowing minority ethnic people
to participate in the wider Northern Ireland society. We have
a number of key aims within the race equality strategy: to eliminate
racial discrimination; to promote equality of opportunity for
people with different ethnic backgrounds in Northern Ireland;
to increase equality of opportunity for minority ethnic people
in accessing and benefiting from public services including training,
education and employment opportunities; to combat racism and to
provide protection against racist crime; to promote good relations
and mutual respect between people of different ethnic backgrounds
including Irish travellers; to increase awareness and understanding
of and respect for different minority ethnic groups within Northern
Ireland and their cultures and traditions; to increase participation
of people from minority ethnic backgrounds in the social, public,
economic and cultural life of society.
Chairman: We do have the strategy document
and we are able to draw from it in writing our report. I just
thought you might be going to read the whole of it to us.
Q203 Mr Campbell: I want to go on
to the strategic action plan on sexual orientation and where we
are in terms of the status of that document.
Mr Fraser: I must say that action
plan is at a fairly early stage. The document Building on Progress,
Priorities and Plans 2003-06 committed OFMDFM to bringing forward
a cross- departmental strategy to tackle gender inequalities.
Initially the gender equality strategy appeared to be the most
appropriate vehicle to tackle issues of sexual orientation, but
in the opinion of departments and the Equality Commission and
various other groups which were consulted, it was decided this
was not appropriate and the minister approved that sexual orientation
issues should be treated separately from the gender strategy.
OFMDFM now has met representatives of the various sexual orientation
groups who have highlighted these issues and the department is
working with these groups to develop proposals for action. It
is at a fairly early stage. One of the key issues here is an issue
which the Committee has already mentioned in other respects which
is a difficulty in actually getting much information or solid
data on these particular issues. OFMDFM has already commissioned
research on the issue of sexual orientation in relation to the
promotion of equality and is seeking to plug various information
gaps.
Q204 Chairman: In other words, we
have not get very far yet.
Mr Fraser: I think I said that.
Q205 Mr Campbell: You say it is at
a very early stage. When do you expect to see a conclusion?
Mr Fraser: I am afraid I would
have to get back to you on that.
Mr Campbell: Before you conclude.
Chairman: Gentlemen, thank you very much
for your help. I am sorry we detained you rather late. The Committee
is adjourned.
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