In autumn 2009, the Scottish Government consulted on the socio-economic duty in the UK Equality Bill. The socio-economic duty is a proposed statutory duty on certain public authorities to have due regard, in their strategic decision-making, to the desirability of reducing inequalities of outcome which result from socio-economic disadvantage. In the bill as introduced in the Westminister Parliament, the socio-economic duty applies only to certain UK and English public authorities, with a power in the bill for devolved Welsh public authorities to be added. It does not apply to devolved Scottish public authorities.

This is a devolved issue, and so the Scottish Parliament could legislate to introduce such a duty in Scotland. But it may be more convenient to use the UK Equality Bill to place the duty on Scottish public authorities.

The Equality Network's response to the consultation is attached below.

Submission to the Scottish Government on the socio-economic duty (18k)

Submission to the Scottish Government on the socio-economic duty (48k)