To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to her Department was of commissioning an external consultant to undertake an equality impact assessment on departmental restructuring; and what conclusions were reached. (115726)

The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 placed a duty on all public authorities to address issues of racial inequality. The Department is a public authority under the meaning of this Act and is required by law to undertake race equality impact assessments. One such assessment was carried out by an external contractor to ensure independence and impartiality in 2004-05 at a cost of £10,125 to the Department following its major change programme of 2003-04. This assessed the impact of a significant restructuring programme across the whole Department. The conclusions are summarised in an executive summary, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The Department continues to take action to ensure an ongoing commitment to equality is embedded within the organisation.