Brian Gibbons, the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, has issued a written statement on proposals for priorities for the Welsh Assembly Government’s first Single Equality Scheme.

The Welsh Assembly Government has recently consulted on its draft Single Equality Scheme.

The Minister says that some of the key emerging messages from the consultation are:

• "Equality should matter to everyone. Equality is everyone’s business. We need to design more services around our citizens and this requires a true understanding of their needs and wishes. Our society is made up of diverse citizens and communities who include young people, single mothers, transgender people and ethnic minorities.
• When we say that equalities matter to everyone, this includes the rights of disadvantaged or minority groups to live their lives as full, equal citizens, with dignity and without the fear of discrimination or prejudice.
• We must consistently think about equality and human rights issues at the start of policy making to make sure we make the best possible policy decisions and place equality as a core part of business.
• We must continue to focus on the needs of our citizens, recognising the diversity of the Welsh demography to develop policies, services and strategies designed to meet the needs of the people requiring those services.
• We must continue to develop strong links between the Welsh Assembly Government, public bodies, the private sector and the third sector and work together, collaborating to achieve shared outcomes. We know that we can not take a one dimensional approach to addressing persistent inequalities."

The statement can be downloaded from the Welsh Assembly Government website.