The public sector Equality Duty (PSED), at section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), consists of a general duty which requires public bodies to consider the key aims of eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations when designing policies and delivering services. It commenced in April 2011 and applies equally across Great Britain.<\/p>
The PSED is underpinned by specific duties which are set out in secondary legislation to provide a framework to help public bodies meet the general duty. England, Scotland and Wales have taken different approaches towards the specific duties. The Scottish and Welsh specific duties, which are determined by the Scottish and Welsh Governments respectively in accordance with section 153(2) and (3) of the Act, adopt a prescriptive approach that places particular requirements on public bodies in respect of equal pay. The English specific duties, which aim to increase transparency and accountability, enable more flexibility for public bodies depending on their size and functions. However, guidance issued by the Government on the English specific duties makes it clear that public bodies should consider any equal pay issues affecting their workforce when reporting on their compliance.<\/p>
The Government has no current plans to change the specific duties. The Government appointed an independent Steering Group in 2012 to review how the PSED was operating. The Steering Group reported in September 2013 and concluded that it was too early to make a judgment on the overall impact of the PSED and the effectiveness of the specific duties. The Government accepted its recommendation that a further evaluation should be carried out in 2016 as more time is needed to let the legislation bed down.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1916", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Newby"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Newby"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-09-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-09-22T13:47:27.7841462Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-09-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Equal Pay"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they will ensure that public authorities in England and Scotland have equivalent duties in respect of gender pay differences to those required by the Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2037", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Lester of Herne Hill"} ], "uin" : "HL1848"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/79152", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/79152/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/p>
The Government is committed to ensuring that couples wishing to convert their civil partnership in to a marriage can do so from 10 December 2014.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
The draft Marriage of Same Sex Couples (Conversion of Civil Partnership) Regulations 2014, which were laid in the House on 3rd<\/sup> July 2014, provide for a simple conversion process, which is not, and was never envisaged to be, a marriage ceremony. The draft regulations were prepared in accordance with the provision made by Section 9 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, in particular subsections (4) and (5), which was debated at length in both Houses of Parliament during the passage of the Bill.<\/p> <\/p> The process was conceived in line with responses from those in civil partnerships to the public consultation in 2012, which called for a simple, straightforward and low cost way for couples to convert their civil partnership into a marriage. Stakeholders expressed a desire for a conversion process which would not undermine the significance of the original civil partnership and which would avoid creating undue new burdens or costs for couples. Accordingly the conversion process was not envisaged to be a process which would replicate a marriage ceremony, whether religious or secular, but was rather intended to be an easy administrative process by which couples converted their civil partnerships and had these recognised as marriages from the date the civil partnership was formed. Couples who did want to celebrate the conversion with family and friends could choose to hold some form of non-statutory celebratory ceremony following the conversion itself, if they so wished.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> We continue to listen to the views expressed by stakeholders during the implementation of the Act. We have heard views articulated by stakeholders in recent weeks raising concerns with the conversion process as set out in the draft regulations as laid and in particular regarding the possibility of incorporating religious elements within conversions. We will consider these views and whether suitable options exist for addressing them within the legal framework established by the Act over the summer.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1816", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Wallace of Saltaire"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-08-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL1314"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-08-11T12:49:34.8270855Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Marriage: Religion"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they will ensure that registered civil partners wishing to undergo a marriage ceremony with religious elements receive equal treatment as same sex couples who are not registered civil partners and wish to marry in the same way.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2037", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Lester of Herne Hill"}
], "uin" : "HL1313"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/79153", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/79153/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> The Government is committed to ensuring that couples wishing to convert their civil partnership in to a marriage can do so from 10 December 2014.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The draft Marriage of Same Sex Couples (Conversion of Civil Partnership) Regulations 2014, which were laid in the House on 3rd<\/sup> July 2014, provide for a simple conversion process, which is not, and was never envisaged to be, a marriage ceremony. The draft regulations were prepared in accordance with the provision made by Section 9 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, in particular subsections (4) and (5), which was debated at length in both Houses of Parliament during the passage of the Bill.<\/p> <\/p> The process was conceived in line with responses from those in civil partnerships to the public consultation in 2012, which called for a simple, straightforward and low cost way for couples to convert their civil partnership into a marriage. Stakeholders expressed a desire for a conversion process which would not undermine the significance of the original civil partnership and which would avoid creating undue new burdens or costs for couples. Accordingly the conversion process was not envisaged to be a process which would replicate a marriage ceremony, whether religious or secular, but was rather intended to be an easy administrative process by which couples converted their civil partnerships and had these recognised as marriages from the date the civil partnership was formed. Couples who did want to celebrate the conversion with family and friends could choose to hold some form of non-statutory celebratory ceremony following the conversion itself, if they so wished.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> We continue to listen to the views expressed by stakeholders during the implementation of the Act. We have heard views articulated by stakeholders in recent weeks raising concerns with the conversion process as set out in the draft regulations as laid and in particular regarding the possibility of incorporating religious elements within conversions. We will consider these views and whether suitable options exist for addressing them within the legal framework established by the Act over the summer.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1816", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Wallace of Saltaire"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-08-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL1313"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-08-11T12:49:34.2230197Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Marriage: Religion"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government why the Marriage of Same Sex Couples (Conversion of Civil Partnership) Regulations 2014 bans the use of religious services at conversion.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2037", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Lester of Herne Hill"}
], "uin" : "HL1314"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78830", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78830/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> Proposed terms of reference for the Independent Privacy and Civil Liberties Board are available on the gov.uk website or from the printed paper office. Creation of the board will require primary legislation which will provide the opportunity for Parliament to consider the appropriate composition and powers of the Board. <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3787", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Holbeach"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Holbeach"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL1189"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-07-23T14:37:58.8218008Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether the proposed Privacy and Civil Liberties Board will have the same access to sensitive material that the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation has.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2037", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Lester of Herne Hill"}
], "uin" : "HL1220"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78299", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78299/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p>
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/330748/independent_privacy_an_cvil_liberties_board.pdf<\/a><\/p>