The Equality Act 2010 replaces previous UK anti-discrimination laws with a single piece of legislation. The majority of the Act came into force in late 2010, but one key element, the Public Sector Equality Duty, comes into force on 6 April 2011. The Equality Duty is a duty on public bodies and others carrying out public functions; for example, companies delivering outsourced services on behalf of a local authority. The aim of the Equality Duty is to embed equality considerations into the day-to-day work of public authorities, so that they tackle discrimination and inequality and contribute to making society fairer. The Government Equality Office advises that complying with the Equality Duty requires active consideration of equality across all functions of an organisation. Procurement and commissioning staff will be required to embed equality considerations in their organisation's relationships with suppliers, through specifications and contract management. The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Government Equality Office are preparing specific guidance to procurers and others on implementing the Equality Duty and other elements of the Act. It is very likely that procurers in the public sector will be expected to be more robust in their inclusion and evaluation of equality issues throughout the procurement cycle. Procurers working for firms within public sector supply chains are also likely to be required to push the same considerations through to their suppliers.
More information about the Equality Act can be found at the following websites;