Scottish Government

Seminar presentation by the Commission for Racial Equality

Ethnicity, Identity & Classification

14th April 2005

Chris Oswald

CRE Scotland

Public Policy

Commission for Racial Equality

• Estb 1976
• Aims : eliminate racial discrimination and harassment ;
• And promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups

Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 General Duty

To have due regard to the need to

• eliminate unlawful racial discrimination
• to promote equality of opportunity
• to promote good race relations.

1976 Act

• Defines discrimination
• Sets out remedies
• Establishes CRE powers
• Legislative force primarily reactive

2001 Census

• Size - 101,677 persons (2.01% of population)
• Relative Size - Pakistani 31%, Chinese 16%, Indian 15%, "Mixed" 13%
• Unemployment - White 7%, Chinese 8%, African 15%
• Education /Degrees - White 17%, Indian 40%, African 47%
• Overcrowding - White 10%, Bangladeshi 31%

Specific Duty Race Equality Schemes

• set out which functions and policies are relevant

and set out arrangements for :

• assessing and consulting on the likely impact of proposed policies
• monitoring adverse impact on policy and
• publishing results of assessment, consultations and monitoring
• ensuring public access to information and services
• training staff in the General Duty.

Employment Duty

"It shall be the duty of such a person to monitor, by reference to the racial group to which they belong, the numbers of

• Staff in post
• Applicants for employment, training, and promotion from each such group and……"

Ethnic Monitoring

• Highlights possible inequalities
• Enables investigation of underlying causes
• Enables the removal of (c)overt forms of discrimination

Without Ethnic Monitoring could you

• Track successes ?
• Identify failures ?
• Describe your customer base ?
• Identify non users of your services ?
• Eliminate discrimination ?
• Promote equality of opportunity ?

Ethnic Monitoring

• Is integral good service provision
• Is integral to good employment practice
• Provides a yardstick for social justice
• Makes public services accountable to its (non) users
• Is, in itself, "race neutral".