Quality and Equality: Human Rights, Public Services and Religious Organisations

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is releasing its new report on the contracting out of public services by religious organisations.

The report’s findings demonstrate that there is no evidence that religious organisations offer any distinctive benefits to the supply and provision of public services and actually that the Government’s clear policy objective of expanding the role of religious organisations within the public services runs the risk of lowering standards, increasing inequalities, introducing ‘parallel services’ and damaging social cohesion.

The research warns of the dangers of discrimination against staff not protected by Employment Equality Regulations pertaining to religion or belief or sexual orientation because of the exemptions that religious organisations have from equality legislation, and of potential barriers to accessing public services for the general public.

Quality and Equality calls for secular and inclusive services and recommends a more transparent tendering process for religious organisations contracted into public service supply and delivery. The Government must ensure that organisations providing public services:

could not discriminate between service users on grounds of ‘religion or belief’, or on any other grounds;

must respect the human rights of service users;

have equality-based employment policies, so that no one is privileged for a position because of her/his religion or belief, her/his sexual orientation, or on any other irrelevant ground.

The launch and briefing will be chaired by Polly Toynbee, President of the BHA. Naomi Phillips, BHA Public Affairs Officer will present the report, giving a detailed overview of the report’s contents, conclusions and proposals. Richard Exell, TUC Senior Policy Advisor, will follow, discussing in particular the policy from an employment perspective. The event will finish with a Q&A session.

If you would like to receive an embargoed copy of the report, please contact Naomi Phillips on naomi@humanism.org.uk or 020 7079 3585.