National Equality Panel and equality stakeholder group announced
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, has announced the setting up of the new, independent National Equality Panel (NEP)to provide the Government with an authoritative analysis of inequality in Britain by the end of 2009. The news came at the same time as the Government Equalities Office announced a new senior stakeholder group to support development of a new equality framework.
The NEP will gather and examine data over the last 10 years as well as the very latest available information and will also commission new research where necessary. The panel will:
- provide a factual analysis of how equality trends have changed over the last ten years and map out exactly where gaps have narrowed and widened in society;
- investigate how people’s life chances are affected by gender, race, disability, age and other important aspects of inequality such as where they were born, what kind of family they were born into, where they live and their wealth; and
- show how these factors inter-relate and reinforce one another.
The Government Equalities Office (GEO) also announced a new senior stakeholder group to support development of a new equality framework to help make Britain a fairer and more equal place. The group, which will include senior figures from trade unions and business organisations including the CBI, Equalities and Human Rights Commission and the TUC, will provide advice to the GEO and its Ministers on how to further strengthen equality protection and to streamline the law. This will include both those measures to be included in the Equality Bill and accompanying non-legislative measures.
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