Immense task ahead to root out entrenched inequalities
A new legal duty has been imposed on public bodies in Wales to consider the socioeconomic impact of their initiatives. Will it make a real difference or will it be no more than a box-ticking exercise, asks the Western Mail’s Political editor-at-large, Martin Shipton
This article first appeared in the Western Mail on 2 February 2022
““More than 25% of citizens in Cardiff are living in poverty once housing costs are taken into account and over a third of children in Cardiff are growing up in poverty””
WHEN Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt “launched” the imposition of the socioeconomic duty on the Welsh public sector last year, she hailed it as a development that would have real benefits for the people of Wales, especially those in our most disadvantaged communities.
The purpose of the duty – whose roots lie in the Equality Act, passed by the Westminster Parliament as long ago as 2010 – is to focus the minds of policymakers on the need to always think about improving people’s circumstances.
Ms Hutt said: “The duty gives us an opportunity to do things differently in Wales.
“It puts tackling inequality at the heart of decision-making, and will build on the good work that public bodies are already doing.
“Never has there been a more pertinent time to act. Decades of EU membership has produced a legacy of benefits in Wales, covering many aspects of daily life, including employment rights, environmental rights and health and safety regulations.
“However, EU exit brings great uncertainty and will likely increase the inequalities which currently exist.
“Separately, we know Covid-19 has increased inequalities in Wales, and the evidence shows there is an indisputable link between inequality and socio-economic disadvantage.
“… the aim is for the duty to become another key mechanism in supporting the most vulnerable in our society.
“By requiring public bodies to make better decisions, ones which place consideration of inequality of outcome which arises from socioeconomic disadvantage at their heart, it will further help tackle the uncertainty of EU exit and our recovery from Covid-19, allowing us to move towards the reconstruction of a fairer and more prosperous Wales.”
Not everyone is wholly convinced, however, that the duty will have the intended effect.
Housing consultant Tamsin Stirling, who is the lead spokesperson on social justice issues for Cardiff Civic Society, remains unsure and has written a blog post in which she compares the Welsh Government’s aspiration with what she observes on the ground.
She states: “The reminders of the extent of inequality in our society are unavoidable as I walk around our city.
“The difference in the physical environment between areas is massive, whether it be the state of the roads and pavements, the presence of empty and unused buildings, the amount of tree cover, how easy it is to access green spaces and leisure facilities, access to public transport and active transport infrastructure, the amount of litter – the list goes on.
“And when it comes to poverty in the capital city, things are moving in the wrong direction – over 25% of citizens in our city are living in poverty once housing costs are taken into account and over a third of children in Cardiff are growing up in poverty.
“The use of food banks, the hygiene bank, baby banks, etc is increasing and many people are rightly scared about rising fuel and food costs.
“Cardiff council’s own Equality and Inclusion Strategy 2020-24 acknowledges that ‘despite Cardiff’s economic growth during the last 30 years, the patterns of poverty and inequality that emerged a generation ago remain’.
“Continuing to focus on economic growth with the hope that some of the ‘benefits’ will make their way to those trying to survive on the lowest incomes brings to mind the quote misattributed to Einstein – ‘insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’.
“The socio-economic duty came into force on March 31, 2021. On paper, this should make a difference – its aim is to influence decision making by public bodies so that they don’t do the same thing over and over again.
“It should help balance out the influence of individuals and businesses with money and individuals and communities without when it comes to decision making. It should but will it?
“Will the socio-economic duty turn into another box-ticking exercise or will it get some traction?
“Given the sparse consideration of inequality and socio-economic issues in the consultation documents on the Replacement Local Development Plan to date, we need to be persistent in asking how Cardiff council is considering protected characteristics and places and communities of interest in the various stages of putting the plan together.
“And Cardiff council needs to listen and reflect on its practice to date. Given that entrenched inequalities have yet to be tackled, what is going to be done differently in future so that we get a different outcome?”
The same questions, of course, could have been put to any council in Wales.
Cardiff council leader Huw Thomas, on whose shoulders falls the legal obligation to comply with the socioeconomic duty, responded: “This administration is tackling poverty across every aspect of city life, including providing more affordable housing, building new schools, improving educational standards to give young people a better chance in life, addressing food and fuel poverty, creating career pathways through our Into Work service, and actively promoting the Living Wage across the city.
“With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, rising fuel prices and an increase in the cost of living, many households in the city are sadly facing financial hardship. Funding has been provided for a number of support schemes, which is being administered by the council’s advice, assessment and housing options teams. This funding, alongside expert support from our officers, will help to ease the immediate financial pressures being faced by many in the city.
“However, it must be recognised that many of the economic levers to tackle inequality sit at the national level, rather than local. In particular, repeated surveys have consistently shown that a major driver of inequality and poverty, including in-work poverty, over the last decade has been changes to the benefits system undertaken by the current, and previous two, UK governments.
“To date, our major development programme has seen more than 600 new council homes being built in Cardiff, with plans for that figure to rise to 1,000 by the end of the year. We are committed to delivering more than 3,500 much-needed homes to help meet the high demand for good quality, low-carbon, affordable homes for people in Cardiff in the coming years.
“The first phase of our 21st Century Schools programme saw £164m investment in our schools. We are well into the second phase of a 21st Century Schools programme, worth £284m. With that we are bringing yet more new schools across the southern arc of the city, where levels of poverty are concentrated.
“Cardiff’s rapid transformation into a Living Wage City continues. Last year alone, a record 42 employers, employing 8,000 people, joined the scheme. This means that over 64,000 people now work for one of 160 accredited Living Wage employers in Cardiff.
“Cardiff University calculates that an additional £39m has gone into the Cardiff economy as a result of wages being uplifted to the real Living Wage.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We are maximising our spending to tackle poverty and address inequalities through our budget decisions. The application of the socio-economic duty is fundamental to this and is a key part of decisionmaking across the Welsh Government.”