Equality Act 2010

1 Public sector duty regarding socio-economic inequalities

(1) An authority to which this section applies must, when making decisions of a strategic nature about how to exercise its functions, have due regard to the desirability of exercising them in a way that is designed to reduce the inequalities of outcome which result from socio-economic disadvantage.

(2) In deciding how to fulfil a duty to which it is subject under subsection (1), an authority must take into account any guidance issued by a Minister of the Crown.

(3) The authorities to which this section applies are—

(a) a Minister of the Crown;

(b) a government department other than the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service or the Government Communications Head-quarters;

(c) a county council or district council in England;

(d) the Greater London Authority;

(e) a London borough council;

(f) the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a local authority;

(g) the Council of the Isles of Scilly;

(h) a Strategic Health Authority established under section 13 of the National Health Service Act 2006, or continued in existence by virtue of that section;

(i) a Primary Care Trust established under section 18 of that Act, or continued in existence by virtue of that section;

(j) a regional development agency established by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998;

(k) a police authority established for an area in England.

(4) This section also applies to an authority that—

(a) is a partner authority in relation to a responsible local authority, and

(b) does not fall within subsection (3),

but only in relation to its participation in the preparation or modification of a sustainable community strategy.

(5) In subsection (4)—

• “partner authority” has the meaning given by section 104 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007;

• “responsible local authority” has the meaning given by section 103 of that Act;

• “sustainable community strategy” means a strategy prepared under section 4 of the Local Government Act 2000.

(6) The reference to inequalities in subsection (1) does not include any inequalities experienced by a person as a result of being a person subject to immigration control within the meaning given by section 115(9) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.