Equal Opportunities (Hansard, 1 May 1995)

§ Ms Eagle
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made within his Department on equal opportunities matters. [21597]

§ Sir Paul Beresford
The Department is committed to equality of opportunity for all employees. There are departmental action plans to achieve equality of opportunities for ethnic minorities and women based on the programmes for action in the civil service. Consultation within the Department is currently taking place on a draft departmental action plan in response to the programme for action for disabled people. Progress is reported to staff by means of an annual report which is published by the equal opportunities unit.

§ Ms Eagle
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which Minister in his Department has responsibility for equal opportunities issues. [21496]

§ Sir Paul Beresford
The Secretary of State has overall responsibility for all issues within the Department although the Viscount Ullswater has particular responsibility for women's issues.

§ Ms Eagle
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the gender assessment being prepared by his Department. [21498]

§ Sir Paul Beresford
This Department's policy, in line with guidance issued in 1992 by the ministerial group on womens' issues, is that policy proposals should ensure that unlawful or unjustifiable sex or race discrimination does not occur and that similar principles apply to people with disabilities, older people or ex-offenders. This scrutiny is part of a continuous and routine process, as part of policy advice to Ministers.

§ Ms Eagle
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he hopes to make in the next three months to push forwards the declaration signed in October 1994 at the Vienna conference in preparation for the 4th UN conference on women; and if he will incorporate a section on equal opportunities in his Department's annual report. [21499]

§ Sir Paul Beresford
The Government are committed to the principles set out in the regional platform for action agreed at the preparatory conference in Vienna for the 4th UN world conference on women. We have taken these forward through a wide range of programmes and initiatives and will continue to do so.
The following paragraph on equal opportunities was published in the Department's annual report for 1995: The Department of the Environment is an equal opportunities employer. This means that all staff (whether full—or part-time), applicants for posts, and members of the public are treated on the same fair basis irrespective of sex, sexual orientation or marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, or disability.