The Government has launched a consultation which sets out its plans to reform the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to ensure the EHRC no longer carries out those activities which the Government do not consider to be their core activities and which can be done better or more cost effectively by others.

The consultation sets out the Government’s vision that the EHRC should become a valued and respected national institution, focusing on its core role as a strong, modern equality regulator and UN accredited National Human Rights Institution. It should champion effective implementation of equality and human rights law, work strategically with a wide range of partners to build capacity, hold Government and others to account for their performance on equality and human rights and build and use a strong evidence base. The reforms also set out how the Commission needs to ensure it safeguards and uses public money wisely, since, in the Government’s view, the EHRC has “struggled to deliver against its remit and provide value for money” and “not been cost effective for the taxpayer”.

Key proposals are that the EHRC would concentrate on promoting awareness of equality legislation so that everyone understand their rights and obligations, work in partnership with organisations to highlight good practice, build their capacity to eliminate unlawful discrimination and advance equality of opportunity, monitor compliance with equality legislation and hold government and public bodies to account for their performance on equality. The Government also suggests that there should be a statutory requirement for the EHRC to lay an annual business plan before Parliament to show how it intends to spend its budget.