Caste
When is the caste report being published?
The Government-commissioned research into the
prevalence of caste prejudice and discrimination undertaken by the
National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) was
published in December 2010 and can be found here.
A summary of the report is available
here.
What are Ministers going to do in response to the NIESR
caste report?
Ministers are considering the findings of the
report carefully and will comment on it in due course.
Why are you not taking forward the protection for caste
discrimination?
The Government has not yet taken a decision on
whether or not to provide explicit legal protection for caste
discrimination. Ministers are currently considering the
findings and implications of the report by the National Institute
for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and are committed to
ensuring that the decision they make will be the most effective and
proportionate method of dealing with any caste-based prejudice and
discrimination in our society.
Can people still be able to present their views on
caste discrimination in the UK?
Certainly. We will continue to respond
to any letters or representations relating to caste.
The Government’s Red Tape Challenge (RTC) is an
initiative which aims to tackle the burden of excessive regulatory
red tape and gives people the chance to tell Government which
regulations they believe are working and which are not, what should
be scrapped, what should be saved and what should be
simplified.
This is a further opportunity for those
interested in caste related matters to express their
opinions. The RTC is currently underway and will run for some
time. There is a three-week spotlight on equalities
commencing 9th June 2011. People will be
able to express their views on provisions that have already come
into force and those that are yet to commence, such as the caste
power. See http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/home/index/.