Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (the Act) requires public authorities, in carrying out their functions relating to Northern Ireland, to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and regard to the desirability of promoting good relations across a range of categories outlined in the Act .
In this draft revised equality scheme we set out how Ofcom proposes to continue to fulfil its Section 75 duties.
We will commit the necessary resources in terms of people, time and money to make sure that the Section 75 duties are complied with and that our equality scheme is implemented effectively, and on time.
We commit to having effective internal arrangements in place for ensuring our effective compliance with the Section 75 duties and for monitoring and reviewing our progress.
We will develop and deliver a programme of communication and training with the aim of ensuring that all our colleagues are made fully aware of our equality scheme and understand the commitments and obligations within it. We are committed to raising awareness of the Section 75 duties in our equality scheme among consultees.
We, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Ofcom, are fully committed to effectively fulfilling our Section 75 duties across all our functions (including service provision, employment and procurement) through the effective implementation of our equality scheme.
We realise the important role that the community and voluntary sector and the general public have to play in ensuring the Section 75 duties are effectively implemented. Our equality scheme demonstrates how determined we are to ensure there are opportunities, for people affected by our work, to positively influence how we carry out our functions in line with our Section 75 statutory duties. It also offers the means whereby persons directly affected by what they consider to be a failure, on our part, to comply with our equality scheme, can make complaints.
On behalf of Ofcom and our colleagues we are pleased to support and endorse this equality scheme which has been drawn up in accordance with Section 75 and Schedule 9 of the Act and Equality Commission guidelines.