Agenda item

To receive the Cabinet Member for Communities & Neighbourhoods’ report  which provides an update on the work undertaken around equalities, as well as the work of the Equality & Diversity Working Group.

18.1       Councillor Watkins, the Cabinet Member for Communities & Neighbourhoods introduced the report and highlighted key elements. She noted that it was race equality week and that Gloucester City Council staff had been asked to all make a pledge to help to combat racism and racial inequality and that she believed that this pledge should also be made by all Members. She said that whilst she was introducing the report, she could not take the credit for the report as it was a shared piece of work created by hard working Council officers and partners. Councillor Watkins thanked everybody involved, including Members from different political groups. Councillor Watkins stated that she wished to make an amendment to the recommendation in paragraph 2.2 of the report to ensure that the recommendation mentioned Council partners.

18.2       Councillor Pullen thanked the Council for the good work being undertaken by the Race and Equalities Commission set up in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. He stated that he had heard positive feedback about the newly appointed Chair to the Commission, though he had not yet met him. Councillor Pullen noted that 17 Commissioners had been or were going to be appointed to the Commission and asked why their names were not in the public domain. Councillor Pullen further asked who the Community representatives were.

18.3       The Corporate Director (Partnerships) replied that there was no reason why the list of Commissioners could not be shared in due course. She stated that there were currently three commissioners. She stated that one of the Commissioners was a lecturer from the University of Gloucestershire who had a keen interest in diversity matters. She said that one was a board member of Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS), who was a representative of the Muslim community and one was a young Gloucester resident. She added that the names and backgrounds of the Commissioners would be shared with the Committee.

18.4       Councillor Pullen noted that a detailed work programme was being developed by the Commission. He asked the Corporate Director whether the Commission would report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee when it was appropriate.

18.5       The Corporate Director replied that the Commission were currently doing some information and data gathering and that they would report to the Committee when appropriate. She added that the Commission had a debate and had decided to investigate five areas currently which were:

1)    Workforce information;

2)    Health inequalities;

3)    Education, including destination data and exclusion;

4)    Criminal Justice;

5)    Lived experience.

18.6       The Corporate Director stated that the Commission’s final report would be in the public domain.

18.7       Councillor Lewis proposed an amendment to Paragraph 3.1 of the report, as he believed that the wording of the paragraph was not worded strongly enough.

18.8       Councillor Watkins agreed with Councillor Lewis, that perhaps the wording of the paragraph was not strong enough and that the phrase ‘extra-judiciary killing’ would have been more appropriate regarding the reference to the death of George Floyd.

18.9       Councillor Lewis stated that he would be happy with the change of terminology from ‘careless and tragic killing’ to ‘extra-judiciary killing’ in paragraph 3.1 that Councillor Watkins agreed to change.

18.10    Councillor Wilson pointed to paragraph 4.1.1 of the report. He asked for more detail on the McGregor-Smith Review.

18.11    The Corporate Director replied that the McGregor-Smith Review was a detailed review into issues affecting black and minority groups in the workplace. She stated that she would circulate the report to members.

18.12    Councillor Hyman noted that considerably more equalities work had been undertaken at the Council than was contained within the report and suggested that further detail be included.

18.13    Councillor Watkins replied that it was a ‘live piece’ of work and members would have opportunities to see the work and report develop.

18.14    The Corporate Director stated that they would add some more detail to paragraph 4.1.3 to explain some of the achievements of the Council from the last couple of years.

18.15    RESOLVED that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee NOTE the report subject to the undertakings provided by the Cabinet Member and Corporate Director as above.