09/04/2008

The Oxford City Council's Finance Scrutiny Committee met on 17th January 2008. The last item on their agenda was their failure to comply with their statutory duty to publish three Equalities Schemes – Race, Disability and Gender. Four other policies follow on – an overarching Corporate Equality Policy and three separate policies on the basis of age, sexual orientation and religion or belief. All quotes below come from this Committee Meeting.

The shortest Corporate policy was approved in March 2005 and is in place, a draft on Disability Equality was agreed in December 2006 (but is it in place?), and a Race Equality scheme – yet not agreed upon – drafted for 2005-8.

Some steps have been taken to draw up a time line for delivery of all the policies required. Preliminary steps will be taken to complete all drafts by mid-May 2008, for final approval by the Executive Board in mid June, and the Council at the end of June 2008.

So in effect, since 2005, we only have one easy to produce General Policy and nothing else is in place. The worst of it all is that these policies are a statutory duty. The Council risks enforcement action from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission if the Council cannot show that it is meeting the general duty and the specific duties.
In an opinion that is shameful, the Council considers this situation to be 'medium risk' (see page 142, 03/01/08 report of the meeting as dated above).

The Council's feeble cover story is that if it is seen to be following a programme of consultation and policy development, they will be demonstrating that they have planned a robust method of meeting these duties. This weak response is below standard.

This failure is further evidence of the City Council's poor record. It has neglected these vital moral duties for several years. It is an embarrassing message to send out to the community of Oxford, in all its diversity. Councillors should be taking a lead in such matters, not falling behind and covering their backs.