Prime Minister to scrap Equality Impact Assessments
In his speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on 19th November 2012, UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced his intention to scrap Equality Impact Assessments, regularly undertaken by government departments and other public bodies before the introduction of any policy changes, saying “we have smart people in Whitehall who consider equalities issues while they’re making the policy. We don’t need all this extra tick-box stuff.” The move was immediately condemned by charities and equality groups who said equality impact assessments were used as a tool to prevent policies being introduced that adversely affect disadvantaged groups, such as the disabled, the elderly and those from ethnic minority backgrounds. The Trades Unions Congress (TUC) accused the Prime Minister of being reckless after he announced the plans, saying “equality impact assessments are not burdensome 'red tape'. They have proved invaluable in highlighting how proposed legislation could affect women and vulnerable workers.”
Responding to his speech at the CBI conference, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The Prime Minister says he is committed to clamping down on discrimination in the workplace but at the same time is removing an essential measure for monitoring it.
'In the transport sector the axing of this requirement would allow staffing levels at stations to be changed without any regard to the impact this would have on female passengers' safety.
'This move smacks of a desperate attempt to placate the business lobby, which like the TUC, is deeply concerned at our economy's anaemic growth. But scrapping equality impact assessments would be reckless and is not the way to get our country moving again.”
Excerpt from the Prime Minister’s written speech to the CBI:
“But the problem isn’t always the legislation itself, it’s how we interpret it.
You get laws gold-plated with reams of pointless reports.
Take the Equality Act. It’s not a bad piece of legislation.
But in government we have taken the letter of this law and gone way beyond it, with Equality Impact Assessments for every decision we make.
Let me be very clear. I care about making sure that government policy never marginalises or discriminates.
I care about making sure we treat people equally. But let’s have the courage to say it, caring about these things does not have to mean churning out reams of bureaucratic nonsense.
We have smart people in Whitehall who consider equalities issues while they’re making the policy.
We don’t need all this extra tick-box stuff.
So I can tell you today we are calling time on Equality Impact Assessments.
You no longer have to do them if these issues have been properly considered.
That way policy-makers are free to use their judgement and do the right thing to meet the equalities duty rather than wasting their own time and taxpayers’ money.”
References:
Prime Minister’s written speech to the CBI
http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/speech-to-cbi/
