London Councils Grants Consultation 2013-2015
In December 2011, London Councils launched a consultation about the future of
its funding programme. This consultation is being undertaken within the context of a longer running exercise about the future of the grants programme in light of severe budget cuts.
Specifically they want to know:
- Which of the 105 current commissions should be funded beyond the end of their fixed agreement and until the end of the 2012/13 financial year
- What principles and priorities will be applied in selecting commissions starting from 1 April 2013
- What the impact of a reduced grants programme will be on the different equalities groups
Documents:
London Councils Grants consultation 2013-2015 briefing (PDF 88KB)
Women's organisations and trans people: acting lawfully
Summary: This briefing is an updated version of the legal information provided in
Trans awareness for women's organisations in the UK published by WRC in 2009. This briefing is to
help women’s groups, services and organisations better understand the context and issues facing trans people and to outline the law as it relates to trans people in the UK, particularly in light of the Equality Act (2010). Trans people experience inequality and prejudice on a daily basis. It is crucial that women’s organisations act lawfully and do not discriminate against trans people, particularly in regard to women-only services and employment.
Documents: Women's organisations and trans people: acting lawfully (PDF 196KB) Factsheet (PDF 120KB) on trans and the legal position for women's organisations
Localism Bill
Department: Department for Communities and Local Goverment
Summary: The Localism Bill is a wide ranging piece of legislation designed to give more freedom to local authorities and grant communities more ways to be involved in local decision-making. The Bill provides the blueprint for the Government’s plans to create a ‘Big Society’ and devolve greater power to local communities.
Whilst the principle of the Bill sounds promising, the Women’s Resource Centre is extremely concerned about the effect that decentralisation will have on gender equality. Whilst the Localism Bill seeks to empower local communities, without a focus on equality it may perpetuate female disadvantage.
Document: WRC briefing on Localism Bill - Second Reading (PDF 80.73KB)
Equality Act 2010
Department: Government Equalities Office
Summary: The new Equality Act brings together and simplifies equality law that has been developed in various Acts and Regulations between 1970 and 2008 relating to Race, Gender and Disability. The law protects people with the protected characteristics from discrimination in a wide range of areas, such as public functions, employment and the provision of goods and services.
Many of the provisions of the Act came into force in October 2010 and subsequently in April 2011.
These briefings are an overview of the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 that have come into force and those that are still under consideration, with explanations of how the law has changed.
Documents:
Updated WRC Briefing: Equality Act 2011 (152KB)
WRC briefing: Equality Act 2010 (PDF 309KB)
Goverment Equalities Office: Equalities Strategy
Comprehensive Spending Review
Department: HM Treasury
Summary: On 20th October 2010, the Treasury published it's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), which the government will use to set the budgets for all government departments until the end of this parliament in 2015.
The coalition government aims to cut £81billion of goverment spending by 2015 to tackle the UK'S national deficit. This briefing looks at the key points of the CSR that may affect women and the women's voluntary and community sector.
Documents: Comprehensive Spending Review Briefing (PDF 204KB)