"Thank you very much for inviting me here today to be part of this very important event. And I'm very pleased to be sharing the stage with a very distinguished panel.
"I am delighted to be the Minister for this region. It's my job to work together with partners in the East Midlands to ensure that all of us in the region benefit fully from the range of policies that are coming on stream.
"I've been doing the job for around six weeks now, and there are a number of issues which I have identified as key priorities for the region. These include promoting improvements in public services, ensuring that we have a highly skilled workforce with rewarding jobs, and providing the housing and infrastructure to support our growing population.
"It's clear to me that we will achieve none of these goals unless we take steps towards tackling the inequalities which still affect some parts of the region and some of its people. But I know that the danger on these occasions is that one "preaches to the converted".
"So I won't re-visit any usual messages about the importance of equalities and human rights, other than to restate the more general point that about equality is neither marginal nor academic; it effects the lives and opportunities of real people, it is a constantly changing debate that gives government new challenges to overcome, indeed challenges that are very rarely off the front page.
"These challenges may not focus upon equality but unpack issues such as globalisation, immigration, crime and sustainability you will find each has profound implications for the equality and human rights agenda- challenges that will need to be addressed by national and local government, public and private sector and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
"And so to one of the government's big achievements of recent years - the creation of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission - it is a significant achievement that government is proud of.
"Its creation is a step toward in tackling inequalities and disadvantage based on gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. It's a marker of the Government's commitment to making this happen. And it's there as an enforcer when it doesn't.
"I realise there was some concern from the pre- existing equality commissions; that their individual characteristics, expertise and focus would be lost in one over- arching Commission.
"I am confident that the new Commission, with its independence guaranteed in statute, whilst working closely with government, will mean it is equal to and will ultimately exceed, the great work done by the old commissions
"Around this room you understand the "why" of equalities. What I'd like to do this morning is to pose a few questions which I hope will help stimulate some of the debate this afternoon.
"We've come a long way in the last decade and have made real improvements to the lives and released the potential of many people:
- 600,000 children have been lifted out of relative poverty
- 2.9 million more people are in work than in 1997, with lone parent employment at a record high.
- 90 per cent of lone parents are women.
"Alongside that, the gap between the overall employment rate and the rate for people from BME backgrounds fell again last year (14 per cent in 2006, down from 19 per cent in 1996).
"Likewise, there have been year-on-year improvements since 2003 in the proportion of Black and minority ethnic pupils achieving the equivalent of five or more A*-C GCSEs.
"Working families have new rights - 47 per cent of new mothers work flexi-time now compared to 17 per cent in 2002. From April 2007 carers of adults also have the right to request flexible working.
"Disabled people working in small firms now have the same rights as those working in large firms, and service providers must, for the first time, make reasonable adjustments to physical features.
"Finally, according to the Low Pay Commission, the National Minimum Wage has had a major impact on reducing the gender pay gap at the very bottom of the earnings distribution.
"All great achievements- but we know we can do better - you, me, national and local Government, and this region. There are success stories to trumpet across all six strands of the Government's approach to equalities.
"For example this event follows hot on the heels of yesterday's regional conference on the challenges relating to ageing, where we looked at a wide range of approaches from handyperson schemes to the LinkAge Plus programme that aims to bring services together in accessible and integrated ways.
"But as I said, this is not about us resting on our laurels, but about posing some questions around challenges and opportunities for the region.
"The challenges for instance include women in the East Midlands suffering greater levels of long-term illness than men, a trend not reflected in the national average; and
"Only 14 per cent of those with long-term ill health or disability being involved in some form of learning in the last three years, compared to 42 per cent of the non-disabled population.
"And we have to face up to the potential impact of an ageing population and the need to rethink the services and support for older people: in East Lindsey for example, we expect around 26 per cent of the population to be over 65 by the year 2018. In Nottingham the expected figure is 14 per cent.
"So there are different challenges in different parts of the region.
"How do we face up to these challenges?
"The Government has set out it priorities for the next three years in the new Public Service Agreement regime.
"For the first time Government has said explicitly in its Equalities PSA we will prioritise reducing inequality; here's what we will do and we will measure our progress.
"There are other Public Service Agreements which also contribute to reducing inequality, including those on Health, education, employment and the Criminal Justice System.
"Government cannot achieve this ambition on its own. We need commitment and action from local authorities, third sector organisations, business and others.
"Some questions then:
"Do colleagues here today feel able to influence Local Authorities and other key public services on priorities?
"It is critical that action is taken at local level to drive equality and priority action is often best identified from within the community.
"Many of you will be aware of the Local Area Agreements. LAAs are at the heart of the new PSA framework. They represent an agreement between central Government, local authorities and their partners. They are 3-year agreements that set out targets on the local areas' top priorities.
"Many issues cannot be taken forward without a focus on local areas.
"For example, improving civic participation is an important element of the new Equality PSA - and is reflected in the set of 'national indicators' which are a crucial part of the new framework.
"Participation is about more than engagement in politics:
- it's about the very fabric of our society
- its strengthens society
- it ensures all voices are heard and represented.
"It's about:
- influencing decisions taken on your behalf
- secoming a member of a local action group
- organising or helping to run an activity or event
- visiting, befriending or mentoring people
- being a volunteer Special Constable or Magistrate
- helping out at school and
- doing shopping for people who are less able to get out of the house.
"In fact the sort of activity that resulted in you to being here today.
"The new performance framework allows us to monitor participation in this kind of activity for different groups - as well as enabling local authorities to set specific targets where appropriate so that communities are representative, stronger and more cohesive
"Crucially, the new agreements take a "bottom up" approach and give local areas much more freedom to decide what their priorities should be. It would be interesting to hear how engaged you have been in the development of those agreements.
"As a Minister with responsibility for the East Midlands, as well as for third sector, I will be watching developments very closely in the coming weeks and months and I am sure the EHRC will be equally interested to see how equalities are reflected in the "LAAs".
"At a regional level - East Midlands Development Agency will soon be starting work on a Single Regional Strategy. This is an innovative development pulling together key agencies and initiatives across the East Midlands to deliver even stronger sustainable economic development.
"Do you feel geared up for that debate? Do you have a credible evidence base that explains how things are? And explains what this region can do to make things better?
"As with the debate about LAAs, the content and direction of the Single Regional Strategy cuts across all the Equalities strands. As the region develops, economically and socially, and as parts of it undergo significant regeneration, we need to ensure that EVERYONE benefits. That means:
- jobs for young and old alike
- jobs for both men and women
- houses and transport facilities that cater for the needs of those with disabilities, and the needs of older people;
"We particularly need to ensure that these changes benefit people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and help us in closing the gaps that still exist in terms of employment, housing, and educational attainment. These are very important issues. We have made progress, but we need to do more, and keep making progress - faster, and further.
"And as you'll have seen from today's programme, I also have responsibility within the Government for the Third Sector. I think I'm pushing at an open door today, but the question still needs to be posed: does the Third Sector feel it is strongly enough engaged in the equalities agenda? That applies to the local, region and national levels. And what lessons can I as Minister for the Third Sector take back to my ministerial colleagues to ensure that they are weaved into cross-Government thinking?
"Before I wrap things up, I wanted to return to something I mentioned at the start of my speech - the notion of having a debate with you about how to improve things in our region. It's perhaps a small contribution to the whole picture, but I am shortly going to launch an expanded web diary and comments section to my pages on the Government Office website (www.goem.gov.uk). We are just sorting out the technical details, but it should be there by Easter.
"Please feel free to use those pages let me know your concerns and your ideas about how we can improve things still further. Of course it would be great to hear about any areas where you think we are doing well!
"I will be working with my teams in Whitehall and in the Government Office to ensure we try to answer all your queries.
