Reports
Statistical Update Spring 2006 - end of the SR02 reporting period
The latest Labour Force Survey results, averaged over the four quarters to
spring 2006. Follow this link
to read the report. 
(PDF:161KB, Pages: 14).
Review of race equality and public sector procurement
In February 2005 the Ethnic Minority Employment Division in DWP commissioned
IRIS consulting to report on ways to include race equality in public sector
procurement and to produce a practical framework and case studies to support
central government and other organisations in the promotion of race equality
through the public sector procurement process. Follow this link to download a PDF copy of the report and appendices . (PDF:65KB, Pages: 1).
EMETF Public Procurement Pilots
The Government currently spends over £120 Billion on goods, works and services from the private sector. This gives us a potentially powerful lever to:
- ensure that society, and tax payers, benefit from government's investment in businesses which share its values
- influence suppliers to government to promote equality in the workplace, and send a message to employers more widely
The Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force has prioritised work to test approaches
to using public procurement to influence employer behaviour. This is in response
to the 2003 Prime Ministers' Strategy Unit report. (PDF:1.45MB, Pages: 154), that recommended the use of public procurement to promote race equality and was reinforced by the
publication of the National
Employment Panel's Enterprising People, Enterprising Places report. Studies
undertaken by IRIS consulting found that there was scope for departments to
do more in promoting racial equality through public procurement.
We are exploring different approaches in three pilots run by the Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office and Department for Education and Skills. The pilots have been developed in discussion with Ministers and stakeholders, including the Confederation of British Industry, Office of Government Commerce and Trades Union Congress (see minutes of Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force meetings on the Task Force page of this site for details).
The Jobcentre Plus pilot is testing revised terms and conditions in recently let New Deal contracts, will provide us with case studies and tools for strengthening race equality in procurement by
- Requiring suppliers to supply and comply with policies on harassment, equality, diversity training and supplier diversity and requires sub contractors who are also involved in the delivery of the contract to meet the same compliance requirements
- Requiring suppliers to report the proportion of employees who are female, disabled and from an ethnic minority group. This is to be at the contract start and then every twelve months from contract start.
The Home Office Passport and Identity Service and the Department for Education and Skills Children's Centres Pilots will be looking at different approaches to strengthening race equality in government contracts.
Maximising the race equality outcomes from government procurement will influence suppliers employment practises to promote equality in the workplace, and send a strong message to employers more widely.
Actions to strengthen race quality in government contracts have the potential to significantly impact on the ethnic minority employment gap.
In addition we will improve public service delivery. The government has a clear commitment to ensuring that ethnic minorities are not disadvantaged when using public services. As external contractors are more widely used to deliver government services, it is important to make sure that our suppliers deliver to all ethnic groups and promote equality in their workforce.
The pilots are being co-ordinated by Department for Work and Pensions and draw on a framework developed for us by IRIS consultants as well as contract conditions developed by Transport for London and the Greater London Authority. They comply with EU and UK regulations and value for money. This work will be evaluated and an interim review of progress will be presented to the January 2007 Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force meeting. The meeting will also discuss how procurement as a lever can be used more widely across government.
The pilots do not include setting quotas or any positive discrimination measures.
Progress report
This is the first progress report of the Ethnic Minority Employment Task
Force, which delivers the Government’s cross-Whitehall ethnic minority
employment strategy. It shows the evidence base for the strategy, sets out
the achievements of the Task Force in its first year and demonstrates those
areas in which the Task Force will seek to further develop policies to improve
the employment position of ethnic minority people.
Follow this link to download a PDF copy of the report.
(PDF:1.8MB, Pages: 76).
Follow this link to download a PDF copy of the report in Welsh.
(PDF:1.8MB, Pages: 24).
Annual Report - February 2006
This is a review of the second year’s work of the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force. The report looks at progress made on the three strands of work below and considers new developments and actions that build on and take the work forward.
- Building Employability: ensuring people have the necessary education and skills to get and keep jobs;
- Connecting People to Work; helping people, especially those living in the most disadvantaged areas, to find jobs; and
- Equal Opportunities in the Workplace: ensuring that people are not disadvantaged when finding work and gaining promotion because they come from an ethnic minority group.
Follow this link to read the annual report.
Strategy Unit report on ethnic minorities in the labour market
This report was published on March 21st 2003. It examined a range of factors influencing labour market achievement of ethnic minority people. The Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force was created in response to the recommendations made in the report.
