§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cross-departmental policies to tackle(a) gender inequality and (b) racial inequality in Northern Ireland. [128289]
§ Jane KennedyWe are committed to bringing forward cross-departmental gender and race equality strategies during 2003. These will strengthen work being done under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
A gender strategy is being developed in consultation with the Equality Commission and voluntary and community sector groups. The first draft of the strategy 205W has been circulated to Departments for comments and a second series of consultation workshops with the Equality Commission and voluntary and community sector groups has been scheduled for early October 2003. The aim is to publish a draft Gender Equality Strategy for consultation by later autumn 2003.
A race strategy, which will be the overarching Government policy document in relation to racial equality in Northern Ireland, was launched for consultation on 25 February 2003. The consultation period which included both public seminars and focused seminars with minority ethnic communities, closed on 31 July 2003. The consultation responses are currently being assessed and the finalised strategy and Action Plan, which will be developed in partnership with the Northern Ireland Race Forum, will be published by the end of the 2003–04 financial year.