The Draft Scottish Marine Regions Order 2015 - Equality Impact Assessment - Results

EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT - RESULTS

Executive summary

The Scottish Marine Regions Order 2015 identifies the 11 proposed Scottish Marine Regions and establishes their boundaries.

Marine planning will take place at a local level within these regions, where regional marine planning will be delegated to Marine Planning Partnerships ( MPPs). The make-up of Marine Planning Partnerships will comprise marine stakeholders that reflect marine interests within the Scottish Marine Region. The boundaries of the proposed marine regions may affect the composition of the MPPs and the creation of regional plans, and this may affect a diversity of people with an interest in the marine environment and Scotland's seas.

Background

The introduction of Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 gave the Scottish Government authority to introduce statutory marine planning for Scotland's seas. The 2010 Act provides for the adoption of a National Marine Plan and for the delegation of marine planning functions to a regional level. Section 5(5) of the 2010 Act allows the Scottish Ministers to designate, by order, any part of the Scottish marine area as a Scottish marine region; and for the identification of the boundaries of such a region. This Scottish Marine Regions Order 2015 designates and identifies the boundaries of 11 Scottish marine regions.

The Scope of the EQIA

The Scottish Government sought public and stakeholders' views on the general principle of creating Scottish Marine Regions for regional marine planning, the seaward boundaries and the approaches to identifying the Scottish Marine Regions in the consultation "Scottish Marine Regions - establishing their boundaries" held from November 2010 to February 2011.

This consultation received 81 written responses from a wide range of marine sectors and stakeholders. The 2010-2011 consultation included an equalities question:

Question 10: Do you believe that the creation of Scottish Marine Regions discriminates disproportionately between persons defined by age disability, sexual orientation, gender, race and religion and belief?

A total of 61 responses were received in response to this question.

All of those who responded felt that the creation of Scottish Marine Regions would not discriminate disproportionately between persons defined by age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, race and religion and belief.

The results of that consultation led to the development of the draft secondary legislation. In December 2012 the Scottish Government published the "Consultation on The Draft Scottish Marine Regions Order" on the Scottish Government website on 6 December 2012 and the consultation closed on 28 February 2013.

There were four questions and 37 written submissions were received. The consultation included two questions on equality.

Question 3: Do you believe that the creation of Scottish Marine Regions discriminates disproportionately between persons defined by age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, race and religion and belief?

Question 4: If you answered yes to question 3 in what way do you believe that the creation of Scottish Marine Regions is discriminatory?

A total of 33 responses were received in response to this question. All of those who responded felt that the creation of Scottish Marine Regions would not discriminate disproportionately between persons defined by age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, race and religion and belief.

Key Findings

The evidence gathered during the consultation on establishing Scottish Marine Regions and the consultation on the draft Order, which designates parts of the Scottish marine area as Scottish marine regions and identifies their boundaries, shows that there is no potential impact on equality.

Recommendations and Conclusion

The Scottish Government has concluded that no changes to the legislation are necessary as a result of the EQIA, as the proposals in the secondary legislation are intended to apply equally to all affected, and have no significant differential effect on the basis of the protected characteristics.