Nine out of 10 local authority suppliers fail to practise equality and diversity

More than 90 per cent of local authority suppliers do not practise equality and diversity in the workplace, think tank Committed2Equality said yesterday.

Councils, who spend £40 billion with suppliers, are “supporting inequality,” claims Janet Lakhani, chief executive of the think tank.

London has the best record on asking suppliers about equality practices but even in the capital less than 30 per cent of councils do so. In the West Midlands and Yorkshire, no local authorities who responded to the survey ask suppliers about equality and diversity.

Anti-discrimination legislation on gender, race and disability requires local authorities to promote equality.

Information in Committed2Equality’s report was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

438 questionnaires were sent out to local authorities in England and Wales. To date, 163 have responded. A final report on the findings will be published in July.