Councils are stopping asking personal questions about sexuality, race and health when residents ask about services.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has ripped up 56 pages of equality and diversity guidance for public servants and is replacing the tome with a single page document clearly explaining their equality duties.

He said he is fed up with complaints about councils asking ‘intrusive lifestyle and diversity’ inquiries requesting personal information when residents wanted basic services.

For instance, he said, Islington Council, North London, wants to know if residents borrowing books from libraries suffered from cancer, HIV, diabetes or if they were transgender.

A woman in Norfolk received a questionnaire when she complained her bin had not been emptied.

The scrapped guidance was introduced by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott before he left office.

The new guide “unambiguously” confirms councils do not have to ask  residents or suppliers lifestyle and diversity questions.

“At a time when taxpayers are watching their pennies, the last thing councils should be doing is sending out unnecessary and intrusive questionnaires,” said Mr Pickles.

“Local residents shouldn’t be asked to reveal detailed personal information just because they’ve enquired about getting their bins emptied or how to join their local library.

“Clamping down on such town hall activity will save taxpayers’ money and protect the privacy of residents of all backgrounds.”

Mr Pickles blamed the Audit Commission, the local government spending watchdog, for ordering the surveys. The government is scrapping the commission under the public spending cuts review.

The body also suggested councils should ‘equality map’ residents and marked down those that refused in inspections.

Mr Pickles said these requirements would now be discontinued, as would requirements to ‘monitor’ the sexual orientation of local residents.

The need for the surveys resulted from confusion over the Equality Act 2010, which some councils claimed ordered them to ask the questions, while others said the act placed no such requirement on them.

This article is filed under : Women, Social Policy, Diversity, Legal, Leadership, Minorities, Role models

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