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The timetable for promoting race equality is "unreasonable", local government leaders claimed last week.

Under present plans, local councils and other public authorities will have to publish a race equality scheme by the end of May. But the Local Government Association is seeking an extension on the deadline, because of delays in the publication of the Commission for Racial Equality's draft code of practice due in May.

The code, which will help authorities meet the duty to promote race equality under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, was published for consultation last December, having been delayed from the summer because of last year's general election. The final version of the CRE code is unlikely to be published "much more than a month or two prior to the deadline on authorities", claimed the LGA.

"The LGA played a key role in lobbying for the introduction of duties to promote race equality and contributed to drafting the code of practice. It seems ironic that authorities will now be penalised by the delay in the overall timetable," said councillor Margaret Eaton, LGA equalities executive chairperson.