The national policy context
4. At the time of our inquiry, policy responsibility
for equalities and human rights was split across a number of Whitehall
departments. The Department for Communities and Local Government
(DCLG) held lead responsibility for equality in respect of gender,
race, religion or belief and sexual orientation and was also the
sponsor department for the new Commission for Equality and Human
Rights (CEHR). The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) held
lead responsibility for combating disability and age discrimination,
though responsibility for age discrimination matters relating
to employment rested with the Department for Trade and Industry
(DTI). The Ministry of Justice was responsible for the operation
of the Human Rights Act 1998 and human rights policy generally.
Current changes in the machinery of government may result in some
re-allocation of these departmental responsibilities.
5. The CEHR will come into operation on 1 October
2007. It is a non-departmental public body established under the
Equality Act 2006. Its tasks will be to reduce inequalities, eliminate
discrimination, strengthen good relations between people and promote
and protect human rights.
6. A range of new legislation and supplementary measures
on equalities have been implemented in recent years. Most recently,
in June 2007, the Government published the Discrimination Law
Review (DLR) and subsequently launched a public consultation on
proposals for a Single Equality Bill, which it is committed to
introducing in this Parliament. The publication of the DLR followed
the publication of the Equalities Review's final report, itself
commissioned by the Government in February 2005. A panel was established
to lead the review and investigate the root causes of inequality
and discrimination in British society. The Government appointed
Trevor Phillips, who at the time was Chair of the Commission for
Racial Equality (CRE), to lead this review in a personal capacity.
Its findings were published in February 2007.
OUR INQUIRY
7. Our remit was extended to incorporate DCLG's new
equalities responsibilities following the machinery of Government
changes in May 2006. We felt that a short inquiry now would provide
a timely opportunity to examine issues around the establishment
of the CEHR and to further the debate on equality in preparation
for the introduction of a Single Equality Bill.
8. We launched our inquiry following our examination
of Trevor Phillips, chair-designate of the CEHR on 24 April 2007.
We published our terms of reference in May 2007, received 16
memoranda and subsequently examined Meg Munn MP, the Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State (Women and Equality). Both oral evidence
sessions were held and almost all our evidence received before
the DLR was published. We do not comment on the specific details
of the DLR but discuss broader policy issues and the establishment
of the CEHR. We thank all those who contributed to our inquiry
by submitting evidence or by more informal means. We are also
grateful for the work of our specialist adviser, Shelagh Prosser.
1 Fairness and Freedom: The Final Report of the Equalities
Review (hereafter 'the Equalities Review'), Feb 2007, p 24 Back
2
The Equalities Review, p 25 Back
3
The Equalities Review, p 20 Back
4
The Equalities Review, p 20 Back
5
The Equalities Review, p 21 Back
6
Commission on Integration and Cohesion, Our Shared Future (hereafter
'Our Shared Future'), June 2007, para 2.21 Back
7
Our Shared Future, para 2.22 Back