Equality and Human Rights Commission

The Commission has made a series of recommendations designed to ensure that the department complies fully with the duties. Jobcentre Plus and the department have agreed to address these recommendations over the next 12 months and are in the process of developing an improvement plan covering this period.  They have indicated a willingness to address our recommendations fully and have already initiated measure likely to address many of the Commission's concerns. 

On this basis, the Commission has decided not to use its statutory enforcement powers further at this stage, but to monitor progress against the plan over this period and review its position after 12 months.

The Commission is about to publish new non-statutory guidance on meeting all three duties in a holistic way, which will replace the separate guidance from the legacy Commissions.  This will include EIA guidance and the Commission's EIA audit tool, which public authorities should find useful in understanding what the Commission looks for in effective EIAs.