The Race Relations Act 1976 (Statutory Duties) Order 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order imposes certain duties on certain bodies and other persons who are subject to the general duty under section 71(1) of the Race Relations Act 1976, to have due regard, when exercising their functions, to the need to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups. It also amends an earlier order.

The duties are imposed for the purpose of ensuring the better performance of the general duty. The Order imposes on a body or other person specified in Schedule 1 to the Order a duty to publish, by 31^st May 2005, a Race Equality Scheme, that is a Scheme showing how it intends to fulfil the general duty and its duties under this Order. The Order also requires bodies and other persons specified in Part IV of Schedule 1A to the 1976 Act, other than those specified in article 3(5) of the Order, to have in place, by 31^st May 2005, arrangements for fulfilling duties to monitor, by reference to racial groups, various aspects of employment by those bodies, and to fulfil those duties in accordance with such arrangements.

Article 4 of the Order amends an earlier order, the Race Relations Act 1976 (Statutory Duties) Order 2001 (SI 2001/3458), by amending one of the entries in Schedule 1 to that Order (bodies and other persons required to publish race equality schemes).

By virtue of section 5 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Interpretation Act 1978, references to a person in paragraphs (2) and (3) of article 2, and in paragraphs (1), (2), (3) and (5) of article 3, include references to a body.