CPS Completes Study for Age Concern

19 October 2004

The Centre for Public Services has completed a major study into the case for and against the introduction of a statutory duty on public bodies to promote age equality.

The study considered evidence about the impact of existing statutory duties to promote equality, such as those in place in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and the Race Relations Ammendment Act (2000) for the UK as a whole. The impact of non-statutory means of promoting equality in access to goods and services was also considered. Extensive documentary research was coupled with the findings of a small number of interviews.

The study found that while the impact of non-statutory initiatives had been ambiguous, statutory measures had made a substantive impact, but that the lessons learned from this suggested that there are a number of technical ways in which such statutory duties might be tightened to increase their impact. The study also found a range of support for the introduction of a statutory duty and presented a range if arguments in support of such legislative changes.

Please contact us for more information on the project or the research findings.