The Regulator for Charities in England and Wales
(17 July 2009)
Link to 'A Single Equality Scheme – Integrity, Equality, Respect and Fairness' consultation document
As a public body the Charity Commission has statutory duties to produce equality schemes for race, disability and gender. As anti-discrimination law has evolved over recent years we have seen the introduction of laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in respect of age, sexual orientation, gender identity and religion and belief. The Commission decided some time ago that we would move to a single scheme covering all of these diversity strands and we were anticipating a new Equality Bill to place a single equality duty on public bodies covering all strands. The Bill was published at the end of April and does move public bodies away from separate equality duties to a single duty.
Unlike previous schemes which focused on our internal processes and employment practices, this scheme has an enhanced external focus and many of the things that we will do under our action plan concern how we treat you, our customers. Our scheme outcomes include treating our customers fairly and with respect and that our activities are informed by discussion with, and the involvement of, relevant stakeholders. We want to know whether you think that we have got our strategy, focus and activities right.
We welcome any comments on the scheme but there are five questions in the document where we would really value your input.
Everyone is welcome to respond to this consultation and we would be grateful if you could email your response with the subject, ‘Single Equality Scheme Consultation’.
Alternatively, you can write to us, giving your response the same title, at:
Charity Commission Direct
PO Box 1227
Liverpool
L69 3UG
We would prefer responses electronically where possible.
It would also be helpful if you could provide us with the following standard information in the order requested as part of the introduction to your response. This will allow us to manage the responses and use the information more effectively, as well as helping us to keep you up to date with any progress:
The consultation period is 12 weeks. We will accept responses up to 9 October 2009.
Where appropriate, we encourage you to provide evidence in support of your response. If you are a representative group, please provide a summary of the people and organisations you represent as part of your response.
All information contained within the responses (including personal information) may be published or disclosed in accordance with the access to information regimes, primarily set out in the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
If you want information given in response to the consultation to be kept confidential it will only be possible to do so if it is consistent with our legal obligations. There is a statutory Code of Practice under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which public authorities must comply with. This sets out how confidential information must be dealt with. We cannot give assurances that all information will be kept confidential but we will take into account any representations made by you.
If you object to any of the information (including your personal details) which you are giving in response to the consultation being published, please say so. It would be helpful for any such objections to be supported with an explanation of why you regard the information to be confidential so that a decision can be made as to whether there are grounds for not publishing such information.
All responses will be recorded and used by the Charity Commission to inform any amendment to our Single Equality Scheme. We will aim to publish a summary of public responses with our comments within three months of the end of the consultation. Your comments are important to us because of our increased focus on our external customers.
If you have any further queries about this consultation, please email us or contact:
Charity Commission Direct
PO Box 1227
Liverpool
L69 3UG
Telephone: 0845 300 0218
As well as being published on our website, a copy of this consultation document has been sent to a number of organisations and individuals who have engaged with us on this subject before. If you think there are particular interested parties who should be consulted, please let us know.
This consultation has been designed to comply with the six consultation criteria in the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultation:
Respondents are invited to comment on the extent to which the criteria have been adhered to and to suggest ways of further improving the consultation process. If respondents have comments or complaints about the consultation process they should contact:
Sue Smith
Charity Commission Direct
PO Box 1227
Liverpool
L69 3UG
Telephone: 0845 300 0218
Email