---

Consultation: Northern Ireland

Answer

The Equality Commission formally approved the Departments Equality Scheme in March 2001. Since then, the department has formally consulted on 14 equality impact assessments as follows: Provision of relevant, accurate and timely information and advice about Social Security benefits. Private Sector Housing Grants. Accommodation for Travellers. Unauthorised Encampments. District Council's Community Support Programme. Child Support Northern Ireland Field Operations. 41 Compact between Government and Voluntary and Community Sector. Urban Regeneration—Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy. Urban Regeneration—Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy for Belfast. Urban Regeneration—Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy for other Regional Towns and Cities. Urban Regeneration—Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy for the North West. Uptake of Social Security Benefits. Customer Service (access to Social Security Benefits). Town/City centre reinvigoration. The department consults a variety of groups and individuals who have requested that they be included in our Equality Consultee Mailing List. The list is available on the department's website at www.dsdni.gov.uk. In relation to whether and how groups respond to consultation, this information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, for every equality-related consultation issued, policy makers record to whom consultation documents are issued, who responded and what was said. A summary of consultation responses and more lately an analysis of these are published at the end of each individual consultation exercise. Information on the department’s annual progress report to the Equality Commission and the five-year review of the equality scheme is available on the website at www.dsdni.gov.uk. In relation to policy changes, consultation is just one stage in the equality impact-assessment process. When equality is effectively mainstreamed into decision-making from the outset of the policy development process, it is very difficult to attribute specific developments or changes to any particular aspect of the policy development process.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

7640; 685 c246-7WA

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Equality Public participation Department for Social Development

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk