§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has established a baseline for policy appraisal against which to measure progress on equal treatment. [93456]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 27 July 1999]: The Government are committed to making sure that its policies are fair and inclusive and take full account of the needs and experiences of all those affected by them.
As part of this commitment, the Ministry has guidance in place to ensure that those involved in policy development check how the policy or programme will affect, either directly or indirectly, different groups of people and take action if necessary where any adverse differential impact is identified. Whilst this does not involve the establishment of a base line, it does involve the consultation of appropriate groups and consideration of their views. However, the nature of the Ministry's responsibilities means that much of its activity does not have a differential impact on different groups of people.