“Would you be able to provide me with an update including details of the work undertaken, the outcomes and the next steps of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Task and Finish Panel. Please also either supply me with an email copy or provide me with the link to the where I can find the finished report.”
Minutes:
Would you be able to provide me with an update including details of the work undertaken, the outcomes and the next steps of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Task and Finish Panel. Please also either supply me with an email copy or provide me with the link to where I can find the finished report.”
Response by Councillor Ann Davies – Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs and Planning Policy
Thank you for your question.
As we know the Task and Finish Panel for BAME was set up in 2020 in response to two Notices of Motion that came before the Council. The Panel had a limited scope and some of it has been completed.
In relation to the work that has already been done, the Panel, the BAME Task and Finish Group had their last meeting during the Summer of 2021, over a year ago and, at that point, the group had agreed on a set of recommendations and they were in the process of organising the draft report with a view to presenting it to Cabinet at the end of that year.
Unfortunately, there was delay for a short period of time and the report had to be postponed until after the start of the year. Because of the start before the election period in March, the report was kept and the work of the Panel was to be considered this new term.
As a matter of process, every administration reviews the Advisory Panels available to them and as part of the report which came through the Cabinet in July of this year it was agreed that the Cabinet would not ask the Panel to reconvene but, it would like to see the report and this report will start its way through the democratic process very soon and I am very confident that I will be presenting it to this Cabinet over the next one or two months.
I should highlight the fact that the interim report by the panel did go through the Cabinet in December 2020 and, it was agreed on those recommendations in that report and they were put to work a while ago. So, some of its work has already been completed.
In relation to results, some of the recommendations from the report have been included in the Vision Statement of this administration, and the outcomes of them refer to recruitment and representation and continuing with the campaign to make sure that the organisation is inclusive and varied. Some of the recommendations have also been included with changes in national policy
On a national level, we have seen the announcement of the BAME Communites, contributions and Cynefin in the New Curriculum working Group which has already caused changes to the History of Black People which is taught in the curriculum of schools.
We have also seen published the ‘Anti Racism Plan of Wales’ which notes the steps required over the next two years to achieve the long-term vision of being an anti-racist nation. Addressing Racism is part of the Co-operative Agreement with the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru and we completely support this vision.
As I mentioned, the next step is for this final report to be published, and I very much look forward to bringing this back to Cabinet over the next two months.
Supplementary question by Councillor Tina Higgins
It’s pleasing to hear about the work that has been done and thank you Ann for the answer this morning. It’s great to hear what has been achieved already. I would like to ask whether the report is going to come to full Council?
Response by Councillor Ann Davies – Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs and Planning Policy
Yes, thanks Tina. The process is that it will come to Cabinet and then it will go to full Council. So, it won’t go to Scrutiny as the Task and Finish Group had come from Cabinet so, immediately to Cabinet and immediately to full Council