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(1) This Order may be cited as the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Order 2006 and shall come into force on 6th April 2007 immediately after section 76A of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.
(2) In this Order—
 “listed authority” means a public authority listed in the Schedule to this Order;
 “section 76A(1) duty” means the duty of a public authority, under section 76A(1) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, in carrying out its functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment and to promote equality of opportunity between men and women; and
 “staff” includes any person treated as an employee for the purposes of Part 2 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Employment Field).
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(1) A listed authority shall by 30th April 2007 prepare and publish a Gender Equality Scheme (a “Scheme”), that is a scheme showing how it intends to fulfil its section 76A(1) duty and its duties under this Order.
(2) In preparing a Scheme, a listed authority shall consult its employees, service users and others (including trade unions) who appear to it to have an interest in the way it carries out its functions.
(3) In preparing a Scheme, a listed authority shall take into account any information it has gathered of the kind described in paragraph (6)(a) and any other information it considers to be relevant to the performance of its section 76A(1) duty and its duties under this Order.
(4) A listed authority shall ensure that its Scheme sets out the overall objectives which it has identified as being necessary for it to perform its section 76A(1) duty and its duties under this Order.
(5) A listed authority shall, when formulating its objectives for the purposes of paragraph (4), consider the need to have objectives that address the causes of any differences between the pay of men and women that are related to their sex.
(6) A listed authority shall ensure that its Scheme sets out the actions which it has taken or intends to take to—
(a) gather information on the effect of its policies and practices on men and women and in particular—
(i) the extent to which they promote equality between its male and female staff, and
(ii) the extent to which the services it provides and the functions it performs take account of the needs of men and women;
(b) make use of such information and any other information the authority considers to be relevant, to assist it in the performance of its section 76A(1) duty, its duties under this Order and in particular its regular review of—
(i) the effectiveness of the actions identified for the purposes of sub-paragraph (e), and
(ii) its arrangements for the preparation of subsequent Schemes;
(c) assess the impact of its policies and practices, or the likely impact of its proposed policies and practices, on equality between women and men;
(d) consult relevant employees, service users and others (including trade unions); and
(e) achieve the fulfilment of the objectives set out for the purposes of paragraph (4).
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(1) A listed authority shall, within the period of three years beginning with the date when a Scheme or a revised Scheme is prepared and published under article 2 or 4, put into effect the actions identified for the purposes of—
(a) article 2(6)(a);
(b) article 2(6)(b); and
(c) article 2(6)(e).
(2) Nothing in this article imposes any requirement on a listed authority where, in all the circumstances, it would be unreasonable or impracticable for it to perform the requirement.
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A listed authority shall review its Scheme and prepare and publish a revised Scheme—
(a) not later than the end of the period of three years beginning with the date of publication of its first Scheme; and
(b) subsequently at intervals of not more than three years beginning with the date of publication of the last revision of a Scheme.
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A listed authority may comply with the duty to publish under article 2 or 4 by setting out its Scheme as part of another published document or within a number of other published documents.
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(1) A listed authority shall take such steps as are reasonably practicable to publish annually a report summarising the actions that the authority has taken towards the achievement of the objectives identified for the purposes of article 2(4).
(2) Such an authority may comply with the duty to publish under paragraph (1) by setting out its report within another published document.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Meg Munn
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department of Communities and Local Government
7th November 2006
SCHEDULE
Article 1(2)


 The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
 Any of the naval, military or air forces of the Crown
 The Arts and Humanities Research Council
 The Arts Council of England
 The Audit Commission for Local Authorities and the National Health Service in England and Wales
 The Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council
 A body corporate established pursuant to an order under section 67 of the Local Government Act 1985 (transfer of functions to successors of residuary bodies etc.)
 The British Broadcasting Corporation, in respect of its public functions
 The British Council
 The British Library
 The British Museum
 The British Transport Police Authority
 The British Waterways Board
 The Central Police Training and Development Authority (CENTREX)
 The Channel Four Television Corporation, in respect of its public functions
 The chief constable for the Ministry of Defence Police appointed by the Secretary of State under section 1(3) of the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987
 A chief constable of a police force maintained under section 2 of the Police Act 1996 for a police area in England
 The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
 The Children’s Commissioner for England
 The Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection
 The Commission for Racial Equality
 The Commission for Social Care Inspection
 The Commissioner of Police for the City of London
 The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis
 The Common Council of the City of London, in its capacity as a local authority, a police authority or a port health authority
 The Construction Industry Training Board
 Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence
 Council for Licensed Conveyancers
 In England, a county council, a London borough council or a district council
 The Council of the Isles of Scilly
 The Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils
 The Court of Faculties
 The Disability Rights Commission
 The Economic & Social Research Council
 The Electoral Commission
 English Partnerships
 The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
 The Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council
 The Equal Opportunities Commission
 The Financial Services Authority
 A fire and rescue authority in England constituted by a scheme under section 2 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 or by a scheme to which section 4 of that Act applies
 The General Chiropractic Council
 The General Council of the Bar
 The General Dental Council
 The General Medical Council
 The General Optical Council
 The General Osteopathic Council
 The General Social Care Council
 The General Teaching Council for England
 The governing body of an educational establishment maintained by a local education authority, in England
 The governing body of an institution within the further education sector in England, within the meaning of section 91(3) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992
 The governing body of an institution within the higher education sector in England, within the meaning of section 91(5) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992
 The Greater London Authority
 A Health Authority established under section 8 of the National Health Service Act 1977
 The Health Protection Agency
 The Health and Safety Commission
 The Health and Safety Executive
 The Higher Education Funding Council for England
 The Historic Royal Palaces Trust
 The Horniman Museum
 A housing action trust for an area of land in England established under Part 3 of the Housing Act 1988
 The Housing Corporation
 The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
 The Imperial War Museum
 The Independent Police Complaints Commission
 The Institute of Legal Executives
 The Institute of Trademark Attorneys
 A joint authority in England established under Part 4 of the Local Government Act 1985 (police, fire services, civil defence and transport)
 A joint authority in England established under section 21 of the Local Government Act 1992
 The Judicial Appointments Commission
 The Law Society of England and Wales
 The Learning and Skills Council for England
 The Legal Services Commission
 A local authority with respect to the pupil referral units it establishes and maintains in England by virtue of section 19 of the Education Act 1996
 A local education authority in England
 A local probation board for an area in England established under section 4 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000
 The London Development Agency
 The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
 The Medical Research Council
 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Court Administration
 The Metropolitan Police Authority established under section 5B of the Police Act 1996
 A Minister of the Crown or government department
 The Museums Libraries and Archives Council
 The Museum of London
 The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
 The National Audit Office
 The National College for School Leadership
 The National Gallery
 A National Health Service trust in England established under section 5 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990
 A National Health Service foundation trust established by the Health and Community Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003
 The National Lottery Commission
 The National Maritime Museum
 The National Museum for Science and Industry
 A National Park Authority for a National Park in England established by an order under section 63 of the Environment Act 1995
 The National Portrait Gallery
 Natural England
 The Natural Environment Research Council
 The Natural History Museum
 The Nursing and Midwifery Council
 Ofcom
 The Olympic Delivery Authority
 The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
 A Passenger Transport Executive for a passenger transport area in England and Wales within the meaning of Part 2 of the Transport Act 1968
 A police authority established in England under section 3 of the Police Act 1996
 The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board
 A primary care trust established under section 16A of the National Health Service Act 1977
 The proprietor of a City Technology College, a City College for Technology of the Arts or an Academy
 The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
 The Quality Improvement Agency
 A regional development agency established under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 (other than the London Development Agency)
 Remploy Limited
 The Sector Skills Development Agency
 The Security Industry Authority
 The Serious Organised Crime Agency
 Sir John Soane’s Museum
 The Standards Board for England
 Student Loans Company Ltd
 The Sub-Treasurer of the Inner Temple or the Under-Treasurer of the Middle Temple, in his capacity as a local authority
 The Tate Gallery
 The Training and Development Agency for Schools
 Transport for London
 The UK Film Council
 UK Sport
 The Victoria and Albert Museum
 VisitBritain
 The Wallace Collection
