Equality impact assessments

Request EQIAs carried out for a named policy or decision.

The Equality Act 2010 requires public bodies to consider the impact of their policies on people with protected characteristics. Equality impact assessments (EQIAs) document this analysis. They should be carried out before major decisions, but they are not always published.

Dear [AUTHORITY NAME], I am writing to request the following information: The equality impact assessment carried out for [POLICY OR DECISION NAME], including any updated or revised versions. I would prefer to receive this by email. Yours faithfully, [YOUR NAME]
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Who to send it to#

The public authority that made the policy or decision. You can find the right authority in the Commissioner’s directory of Scottish public authorities. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.

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Tips#

  • If no EQIA exists, that is itself useful information. The authority should tell you so.
  • EQIAs should be carried out for budget decisions, service changes, and new policies, so these are all worth asking about.
  • If you suspect an EQIA was not done when it should have been, you can report this to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.