The Plymouth Fairness Commission is your chance to try to make Plymouth a fairer city!
The Fairness Commission will be looking at what goes on in the city, finding out about inequalities, thinking about changes which could ensure that everyone feels that they have their fair share of services and that decisions are made fairly.
To understand these issues and begin to answer such big questions, they really need your help, ideas and information. Therefore they are currently inviting written submissions on the following questions from any individual, group or organisation with an interest in Plymouth:
- What does a fair city mean to you?
- What is fair and unfair about life in Plymouth at the moment?
- Is there anything about where you live in Plymouth which makes life for some people unfair?
- Are there any people or communities for whom life in Plymouth is particularly unfair?
- What should be the top three fairness priorities for the city?
- What could the people of Plymouth do to help each other live fairer lives?
The closing date for submissions is 21 June 2013.
Full details about the Call for Evidence and a list of all questions can be found on the Fairness Commission Website.
Pride in Plymouth will be making submission including details of the unacceptable delay by Plymouth City Council in progressing with our application to hold Pride in the Park, withholding information about complaints and the delay in answering our simple Freedom of Information request – Evidence that they have not been very cooperative!
We will also mention the lack of investment both financial and professional in ‘diversity management’ in the city along with lack of proper consultation and open discussion.
We will highlight that there is no ‘official’ trans support network in Plymouth with many trans people having to travel to Exeter or even Taunton for support.
There is other areas such as the lack of information on the city council website for LGBT people in areas such as adoption, book list, general advice etc. Coupled with the lack of visibility of LGBT people in printed material and on official websites. We will include evidence that other councils of comparable size are doing much better.
As always we welcome your thoughts and ideas for inclusion but also encourage individuals to make a submission.
The closing date for submissions is 21st June 2013
Who are the Fairness Commission?
The Commission is composed of 23 individuals with proven knowledge and expertise, it launched on 17th April 2013 and is chaired by Dame Suzi Leather. Commissioners are expected to contribute expertise rather than represent specific interests. All Commissioners are unpaid and were appointed for their professional expertise and their personal commitment to fairness in Plymouth.
Visit the Fairness Commission Website for more information.
At the launch Councillor Tudor Evans, said
“The Plymouth Fairness Commission is about finding out and understanding what isn’t fair in our city, then making changes for the better. It is about ensuring our public services and communities are doing the right things for the people most in need to help make society more equal. It’s also about delivering on our promises of being a transparent Council, and a Cooperative Council which gives communities the power to change our city for the better.”
“We’ve asked for the Commission to be set up and its work will be based on the main principle that the most vulnerable people in Plymouth should get the most support. At a time when public resources are being stretched to the absolute limits, it’s so important to ensure what cash we do have is targeted at the people and places that will make a real difference.”
