To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister for their assessment of the value of a Racial Equality Strategy in the absence of ethnic monitoring.

There is of course value in having a Racial Equality Strategy. Achieving the aim of racial equality should be a target for us all and it can be progressed through a variety of means.

The aim of Ethnic Equality Monitoring (EEM) is to identify and monitor inequalities, develop evidence-based policy, and plan service delivery. Voluntary monitoring of ethnicity already exists in a number of service areas and the introduction of EEM will strengthen this and harmonise it across the NICS, and wider public sector. This will allow us to monitor the progress of all government policy including the current Racial Equality Strategy and any future strategies.

The Racial Equality Strategy has been monitored to date through TEO’s mid-term Stocktake (October 2021); an ongoing independent review; the Racial Equality Indicators Report (most recent publication March 2023); and continuous engagement with the Racial Equality Subgroup and wider minority ethnic sector stakeholders.

As acknowledged in the Racial Equality Strategy’s foreword, we are under no illusion about the size of the challenge involved in tackling racial inequalities and that it will require time, effort, and resources. Therefore, we remain committed to the implementation of the Strategy.