Home secretary and equalities minister Rt Hon Theresa May MP updated parliamentarians on the government’s work on race equality last week. In a joint meeting between the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) on Race and Community and Equalities, May faced questions from MPs and members of the public on issues including stop and search, gypsies and travellers, the Equality Act and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

Of particular note, May shed more light on the fate of the EHRC following the government’s recent quango review which announced that the work of the body will be significantly reduced. Stating that the EHRC will be “radically reformed”, she announced that the government is looking at how some of its functions can be filled by the big society.

MPs David Lammy (Labour) and Richard Fuller (Conservative) focused on criminal justice, asking questions on stop and search and incarceration rates respectively. May did not answer Lammy’s question on whether a reduction of monitoring will lead to even higher disporportionality of Black and Asian people stopped and searched. However, May responded to Fuller’s question on the over-representation of Black men in the UK prison system by saying that a “holistic approach” is needed in dealing with the problem which focuses on sentencing, but also on opportunities for young people.

It is worth highlighting however that despite questioning from attendees on the issue, May tended not focus on race equality issues unless pushed. In her opening address to the group, May highlighted the work the government is undertaking in relation to other equality strands – such as gender and LGBT issues – but said nothing on its plans on race. It may be that the issue is not a priority for the government or – as May said in response to a question from Race on the Agenda – it may become more of a priority in the future. However given the stark racial inequalities that exist in the UK today, if now is not the time prioritise race equality, when is?

Runnymede acts as Secretariat for the APPG on Race and Community. For more information on the group, as well as a podcast of last week’s event, visit our APPG webpage.

Today's post has been written by Runnymede's public affairs intern Gordon Nelson

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has this month launched a series of guidance documents on the Equality Act.  The documents explain the Act itself - which comes into force this October - and give practical examples on how the law has changed. The advice is offered to employers, workers, service providers and service users and explains how these groups will be affected by the legislative changes. The guidance does not come into effect until October 1.

The documents are available here.

There have been some reports over the last week that the government has withdrawn its timetable for the implementation of the Equality Act and that it is considering repealing a number of measures included in the act.

The UK Human Rights blog, along with the Sunday Times this weekend, have suggested that elements of the act which the Conservatives were opposed to in opposition will not be implemented, for example positive discrimination when hiring and compulsory equal pay reporting. These measures require secondary legislation, which the government could choose not to pass.

In addition, the UK Human Rights blog has reported that a spokesperson from the Government Equalities Office has said that “an announcement on scheduling for implementation of the Equality Act will be made in due course” adding that the new Government is not bound by the timetable set by its predecessor.

You can read more on the UK Human Rights blog.

Gordon Brown has today written a post for the Operation Black Vote blog on Labour’s policies for BME communities.

In the post, Brown defends Labour’s record on fighting racial prejudice, particularly highlighting the party’s introduction of a duty for all public bodies to tackle racial discrimination, the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006, this year’s Equality Act and the establishment of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

On the rise of the far-right, Brown states that Labour is working closely with faith communities, trade unions and community organisers to defeat the BNP.

Just in the nick of time, MPs last night approved the House of Lords’ amendments to the Equality Bill meaning that it will now become law ahead of the election.

The bill is expected to receive Royal Assent from the Queen shortly, with provisions in the Bill beginning to take effect in the autumn.

The new legislation, first introduced to the House of Commons almost a year ago, brings together many of the existing equality laws under one umbrella, which will help to make individuals’ rights clearer to themselves and their employers. Overall, unfair treatment on the grounds of race, gender, age and disability will be protected against under the legislation.

Following the completion of the third reading of the Equality Bill in the House of Lords this week, Harriet Harman MP announced yesterday that the House of Commons consideration of the bill will take place on 6th April, meaning that it is likely the bill will be passed before the election.

A quick mention of a short debate which took place in the House of Lords yesterday on gypsies and travellers. Baroness Whitaker asked the government why they have decided not to extend security of tenure on gypsy and traveller sites to that available to other caravan dwellers. She also criticised the government for not prioritising the introduction of a statutory instrument on the matter ahead of the election. Elsewhere in the debate, the Lord Bishop of Ripon and Leeds argued that gypsies, travellers and roma are "almost invisible recipients of racial prejudice in this country", whilst Earl Cathcart accused the government of giving these communities "special treatment".

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that the Equality and Human RIghts Commission (EHRC) has been facing increasing criticism over the past few weeks. The Public Accounts Committee published a report earlier this month on the commission, arguing that “serious errors” were made when setting up the body, and added that “weaknesses” in its controls have continued. Further to this, the Joint Committee on Human Rights yesterday published a report criticising Trevor Phillips’ leadership of the EHRC, stating that his reappointment in 2009 should have been subject to open competition. The pressure looks set to increase with a number of parliamentary questions being recently answered on the body’s efficiency.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has today published the findings of an independent review that looks at the current provisions to prevent the promotion of racism in schools. While the report recommends an annual review on whether teachers belonging to racist organisations should be banned, it also finds that measures currently in place to protect pupils from racist teachers are sufficient.

Yesterday the Report Stage of the Equality Bill was completed in the House of Lords. Votes were taken on the socio-economic duty, the public sector equality duty in relation to religion or belief, and on civil partnership ceremonies in religious buildings. Of particular interest in relation to race equality, amendments were agreed to add 'caste' as an aspect of race, and for political parties to publish information on the diversity of its candidates.

Today I tuned into the Home Affairs Select Committee’s oral evidence session as part of its inquiry into the UK Border Agency, to which Runnymede submitted written evidence. Louise Perrett appeared today in front of the committee, who you may remember as being the whistleblower and former asylum caseworker who claimed there was a culture of hostility in the UK Border Agency Cardiff offices. Most shockingly, she claimed that officials took pride in refusing applications. Chair of the Home Affairs Committee Keith Vaz MP previously expressed concern surrounding these allegations, and in today’s session he asked Perrett to outline her claims in more detail.