The British Humanist Association (BHA) has released its response to the Department for Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) document Ensuring a level playing field: funding faith-based organisations to provide publicly funded services. The document has been described by the department as ‘myth busting’, which aims to reduce discrimination against religious organisations by local authorities with regard to public service contracts and has been sent to all local authorities.
The BHA’s response strongly argues that religious organisations are not being unduly discriminated against in public service tendering processes. It makes clear that the ‘myths’ which the document highlights are, in fact, legitimate concerns about the conduct of organisations running public services and the possibility of discrimination against service users and employees. In particular, these concerns are based on the wide exceptions that religious organisations enjoy from equality and human rights legislation, that allows them to discriminate on religious grounds, even when working under contract and on behalf of the state.
Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive commented, ‘The BHA has been working on the issues relating to the DCLG document for over 2 years and our concerns about religious organisations running public services are supported by trade unions, women’s organisations and other equality groups, as well as having support in Parliament in debates concerning the recent Equality Bill That DCLG has dismissed these legitimate concerns as ‘myths’ and is actively encouraging local authorities to contract with religious organisations is deeply worrying.
‘We have therefore produced our response entitled Not So Mythical which we are sending to all our local authority contacts to reassure them that concerns about the equality and human rights of their service users are legitimate and must not be ignored.’
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Read more about the BHA’s work on ‘faith communities,’ public services and equalities.
For comment or information, contact Andrew Copson on 020 7079 3583.
The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing the interests of the large and growing population of ethically concerned, non-religious people living in the UK. It is committed to human rights and democracy, and has a long history of active engagement in work for an open and inclusive society and for a rational approach to public ethical issues.