Equalities Review: Panel meeting, 9 June 2005

Review Panel meeting, 9 June 2005 at 9.30am

3rd Floor, 22 Whitehall
London SW1A 2WH

Review Panel
Trevor Phillips (Chair)
Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas
Carol Lake
Nick Pearce

Review Team
Rosie Seymour
Cathy Francis
Stephen Earl

Observer
Bernie Aryeetey

Robert Kerslake (Panel member)

The members of the Panel introduced themselves and Rosie Seymour introduced the members of the Review Team. The Panel was advised of progress in recruiting new members to the Team. Rosie also outlined the division of Ministerial responsibilities. John Hutton is the Minister within Cabinet Office with responsibility for oversight of the Equalities Review and the related Discrimination Law Review, and Meg Munn has to day to day oversight within the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI), reporting to Alan Johnson at DTI and Tessa Jowell at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the latter as Minister for Women.
Trevor Phillips welcomed the Panel to the meeting and expressed pleasure that the Panel was able to meet early in the life of the Review. However, he also stressed the importance of working at speed in between meetings during the life of the Review.
The terms of reference for the Equalities Review and Discrimination Law Review Reference Group were tabled for information.

Introducing a paper setting out his overarching vision for the Review, Trevor Phillips said that his aim had been to reduce the Review's terms of reference to the most relevant items.
The Panel discussed the paper and made the following points:
- that it would be important to produce a compelling case for action which engaged with public notions of fairness and reciprocity rather than dealt exclusively with economic benefits and detriments;
- the Review should take account of the wider aspects of societal change, such as demographic data and shifts in the immigrant population, as well as those as a direct result of government policy, such as increasing the total figure for those in employment and reducing child poverty;
- society does not follow a universal, homogeneous template but is built up of different groups with different challenges and opportunities; and,
- the Review should consider analysis (whether existing or to be commissioned) of future trends in developing a compelling case for intervention.
The Panel agreed that it will:
- adopt the life–cycle approach to telling the story of inequalities and interventions;
- consider the implications of the Review for bodies both within and outside government;
- include analysis of future trends and overlay these with what government and others are doing.

Rosie Seymour introduced a paper suggesting a possible early consultation with key stakeholders. After discussion, the Panel agreed that the issues are too general at this stage to warrant a detailed consultation and favoured a document explaining that the Panel exists and is working towards a consultation document to be produced later this year which will include analysis and proposals. The Panel also considered that the Reference Group might provide a useful channel for some of these initial questions.

Rosie Seymour introduced the draft Project Initiation Document (PID), pointing out that further work needed to be done developing key milestones and refining the project's risk management. The Panel agreed that they were satisfied with progress on project planning.

Trevor Phillips outlined how the proposed programme of meetings for the Panel will work commencing with the awayday on 19 and 20 July. This event will start at around 4pm and will probably be held in the Luton or Bedford area to facilitate transport links for the various attendees. The Review Team would arrange for relevant guest speakers to come and give presentations at this event and asked that Panel members let them have the names of any particular experts they would like to hear.
The Panel agreed a target time of 36 hours for turning around email enquiries.