HC Deb 06 April 2000 vol 347 cc569-70W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he has taken to integrate the statutory equality duty into the new Targeting Social Need initiative. [117362]

Mr. Ingram

[holding answer 3 April 2000]: The statutory obligation on equality of opportunity under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) are separate but complementary elements of the Government's equality agenda. The statutory obligation requires Public Authorities, including NI Departments and the NIO, to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity in terms of nine social categories. New TSN is a policy running through spending programmes in NI Government Departments and the NIO which requires efforts and available resources to be targeted towards people, groups and areas objectively defined as being in greatest social need.

The Government have made it clear that there is no incompatibility between the principles of equality of opportunity and targeting on the basis of objective social need; addressing disadvantage may often contribute to reducing socio-economic inequalities within the Section 75 categories. The OFMDFM will include the New TSN policy within its Equality Impact Assessment in due course.