To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to publish her Department’s gender equality scheme. (101483)

My Department will publish its equality scheme, incorporating its gender equality scheme, on 4 December 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that private organisations contracted to work (a) in her Department and (b) for non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies for which her Department is responsible are aware of their duties under gender equality legislation when exercising public functions on behalf of public bodies. (101504)

To assist us in meeting our general gender equality duty obligations where contractors provide goods, works or services on our behalf, we will refer to the Equal Opportunities Commission’s (EOC) Code of Practice of the Gender Equality Duty and any further EOC guidance when available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to carry out gender impact assessments of her Department’s major policy developments and new legislation. (101541)

From April 2007, my Department will carry out gender impact assessments of major policy developments and new legislation in line with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930). We shall refer to the Equal Opportunities Commission’s (EOC) Code of Practice on the Gender Equality Duty and its specific guidance when available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) her Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies for which she is responsible are taking steps to meet the requirements of the forthcoming duty on public bodies (i) to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and (ii) to promote equality between women and men. (101558)

In order to meet the general gender equality duty which will require public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and harassment and promote equality of opportunity between women and men, my Department will be taking the steps outlined in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities)(Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930) which should come into force on 6 April 2007.