3.—(1) An authority must publish objectives that are designed to enable it to better perform the general duty.
(2) The authority must also—
(a)publish a statement setting out—
(i)the steps that it has taken or intends to take in order to fulfil each objective; and
(ii)how long the authority expects it will take in order to fulfil each objective;
(b)make such arrangements as it considers appropriate for monitoring the progress that it makes and the effectiveness of the steps that it takes in order to fulfil its equality objectives.
In these Regulations such objectives are referred to as “equality objectives”.
(3) If an authority does not publish an equality objective in respect of one or more of the protected characteristics it must publish reasons for its decision not to do so.
(4) Paragraph (3) applies even if an authority publishes an equality objective for the purpose referred to in regulation 11(1) (and for that reason such an objective is to be ignored for the purpose of paragraph (3)).