Clackmannanshire Council Online

Second Race Equality Scheme

Clackmannanshire Council has completed its second Race Equality Scheme (2005-08), setting out how we will promote race equality for the next three years. The first Race Equality Scheme was published in November 2002.

Following the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, the Race Relations Amendment Act was introduced to make sure that public organisations such as the police and local authorities take a more positive approach to racial equality. As a result, the public now has greater protection from unlawful racial discrimination.

The Council must take steps to:

• eliminate unlawful racial discrimination
• promote equality of opportunity
• promote good relations between people of different racial groups.

The duty makes the promotion of racial equality central to the way that Clackmannanshire Council operates, improving our services to everyone and helping to mainstream racial equality.

Council leader Margaret Paterson said: "The promotion of racial equality is central to the way that Clackmannanshire Council works. All Scottish local authorities published a Race Equality Scheme in 2002 and this second edition simply reinforces a commitment we already have in Clackmannanshire to tackling race issues."

Through the scheme, the Council has set out its arrangements for:

• assessing and consulting on the policies it proposes to adopt
• monitoring adverse impact of its policies on the promotion of race equality
• publishing the results of assessments, consultation and monitoring
• ensuring public access to information and to services
• training staff in issues relevant to the duty

Although Clackmannanshire's minority ethnic communities make up less than 1% of the population, our functions and policies affect those members of the community directly and indirectly and are therefore relevant to race equality. Clackmannanshire's Race Equality Scheme will help to ensure that citizens and employees as well as visitors to the area, will not suffer from direct or indirect discrimination on racial grounds.

Copies of the Race Equality Scheme have been distributed around Council offices and libraries or it can be downloaded from the Council's website at www.clacksweb.org.uk