Latest news with #EqualityImpactAssessment
Belfast Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Granting of controversial mineral licences an erosion of democracy, claim campaigners
The licences, granted to four companies, permit searches for minerals — excluding gold and silver — across areas in at least three counties with the potential for future approval of full-scale mining operations. A consultation on licence applications was published by the Department for the Economy (DfE) on May 8 and shows that out of a total of 2,163 responses, 2,153 (99.5%) were objections. Communities Against Mining (CAM) warned that Caoimhe Archibald's decision to grant seven prospecting licences 'flies in the face of overwhelming public opposition, environmental risks, and multiple legal obligations' and accused the minister of failing to refer 'this cross-cutting matter' to the Executive Committee in line with Section 20 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Martin Tracey said the move breaches the Good Friday Agreement's principles of partnership and collective governance. 'Ninety-nine per cent of the public responses in the consultation oppose the issuing of the prospecting licences,' he said. 'The Sinn Fein minister dismissed those objections with indifference and issued the licences anyway.' Mr Tracey also said no Strategic Environmental Assessment or Equality Impact Assessment has been conducted 'despite evidence that rural, border communities will disproportionately bear the impact'. 'Communities Against Mining call for an immediate suspension of these licences and a full, independent investigation into the department's conduct in this matter.' At the beginning of this year, a public inquiry into NI's largest-ever mining project in the Sperrin Mountains was suspended after Stormont failed to consult the Irish Government about potential cross-border impacts. The move came after it was found that the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) failed to properly consult on 'transboundary' issues relating to the proposals. Mr Tracey said the issue that collapsed the probe into the controversial goldmine 'has unexplainably been ignored by the minister' in arriving at her decision to grant seven new licences. SDLP economy spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin also slammed the move. The Foyle MLA said the decision directly contradicts Ms Archibald's previous support for a moratorium on new licences. 'This is a deeply disappointing and unjustifiable decision by the economy minister,' Ms McLaughlin added. 'It is a slap in the face to the communities in these areas who made their objections loud and clear and who have now been ignored.' A DfE spokesperson said it is carrying out a comprehensive review of mineral licensing. 'In the meantime, the process for providing a mineral prospecting licence is set out in law and cannot lawfully be contravened by a minister,' they added. 'A detailed explanation for the decisions, based on the existing legislative framework, has been published on the DfE website. 'These licences are for prospecting only. They do not allow for mining or extraction of minerals. It is also important to point out that the department has no role in the licensing of gold and silver exploration, which remains within the remit of the Crown Estate.'
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
NHS trust uses offensive 'terf' slang in official guidance despite supreme court ruling
An NHS trust has been criticised for its use of the offensive term 'terf' in a guide on how to support transgender staff. A document produced by the North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) used the term, which stands for 'transgender-exclusionary radical feminist', to describe women who do not want to share single-sex facilities with trans women. The document claims that excluding trans women from women-only spaces in the hospital is unlawful. It comes after the Supreme Court ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equality laws. The use of the term was flagged to NHS bosses by The Telegraph, who then warned the trust not to use 'derogatory or dismissive language'. The NELFT is now reviewing its own guidance surrounding single-sex facilities. The Government's equality watchdog, issued their guidance to charities and public sector organisations following the Supreme Court 's ruling that trans women – men who identify as female – are not women under the law. Following the court's decision, there was a debate among charities for women about how to interpret the finding. Many, including Refuge, the UK's largest domestic abuse organisation, and the Girl Guides said they would not let the ruling change the way they treated trans people and looked to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) for support. But the EHRC's guidance reiterated the Supreme Court ruling, saying: 'Trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women's facilities.' The Trust provides services to parts of north and east London as well as Essex and Kent and specialises in community and mental health. In its staff policy, the trust says it supports colleagues who identify as transgender, as well as non-binary and other gender identities. The document also references 'trans-exclusionary radical feminists', warning that this group may feel that the inclusion of trans colleagues is an 'infringement on their beliefs and values. The term 'terf' has appeared on placards at rallies in London since the supreme court ruling. While most held up signs fighting for trans rights, some activists were seen threatening violence with disturbing images of stabbed and hanged TERFs. One sign at the protest in London's Parliament Square showed an illustration of hangman alongside the slogan 'The only good TERF is a [hanged] TERF.' Another read: 'Trans women are women. Trans men are men. If you don't like that, go s*** somewhere else.' Examples on the sign of where to do that included 'on a pile of Harry Potter books' or 'on the head of another TERF'. One sign at the protest in London's Parliament Square showed an illustration of hangman alongside the slogan 'The only good TERF is a [hanged] TERF' A women's rights campaigner said the slur was used to incite violence against women. They told the Telegraph: ''Given that the term terf has been used to dehumanise and silence women it is particularly egregious that this slur is used in the Equality Impact Assessment which is supposed to be the fair and balanced legal section required under the Public Services Duty in the Equality Act'. The guidance for staff at the NELFT was written by DEI managers alongside LGBTQ staff network leaders. It was also signed off by two of the trust's executives. The document came after Maya Forstater, co-founder of charity Sex Matters, won an employment tribunal which declared gender critical beliefs were protected in a democracy. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at the charity, said the NELFT's attitude towards women 'reflects the abysmal response from many NHS trusts to the Supreme Court judgement'. 'Terf is a term used by trans activists to demonise women who are working to restore and protect hard-fought rights to single-sex services and spaces,' she said. 'By the time this guidance was published, Forstater v CGD had already established that gender-critical views are legally protected, further illustrating the long-standing contempt for the law within the NHS.' The Trust, like others in London, currently allows trans women to share wards and lavatories with other women. It has also received a gold award for its commitment to LGBTQ policies by the controversial charity Stonewall. Some members of the leading doctors' union, the British Medical Association (BMA) condemned the Supreme Court ruling. Biology in medicine, a group of doctors campaigning for patients to be treated according to biological sex said it was 'destroying trust in medicine', accusing the BMA of 'medical misogyny'. An NHS spokesperson said: 'Organisations across the NHS are reviewing their policies and guidance to bring them in line with the Supreme Court judgment, and this will take some time. Guidance for staff should clearly not include derogatory or dismissive language, and trusts must take this into account as part of their reviews.' A Department for Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this Government, and we expect Trusts to follow the clarity that the Supreme Court ruling provides.' A spokesman for NELFT said: 'We are reviewing the content of the guidance in light of the recent ruling, as well as the language used to ensure it is respectful and promotes inclusivity, and we will reissue once complete.'
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Elizabeth line giant digital advertising screen plans criticised
Plans to install huge wraparound video adverts in Elizabeth line stations have raised fears that commuters will be "bombarded with ads".Transport for London's (TfL) advertising partner Global said it wants to introduce "world-first immersive formats" such as digital screens covering the walls and ceilings of the line's underground Hall's Green Party said the "digital wraps" could spoil the "beautiful, calming" design of the Elizabeth line, stations, which recently won the Stirling Prize for ArchitectureTfL said they were in early development and will be tested and assessed before they are introduced. 'Bombarded with ads' Caroline Russell, a Green member of the London Assembly, said the planned "sensory-heavy" wraparound screens raised "serious concerns for neurodiverse Londoners"."The Elizabeth Line stations are designed to be beautiful, calming environments through which many thousands of people pass every hour. "While advertising generates revenue that's reinvested back into the transport system, TfL is a public service – it shouldn't be so underfunded that Londoners are bombarded with ads just to keep the network afloat."A TfL spokesperson said: "A full Equality Impact Assessment will also be carried out to ensure that the needs of all customers are fully considered." In addition to its plans for the Elizabeth line, Global has said it wants to transform the 160m long moving walkway at Waterloo Tube station into a "multi-sensory experience" featuring eight large digital screens, "combining sound, 3D visuals, scent and motion".Across the wider Underground network, the advertising giant wants install more than 1,000 standard-sized digital screens "designed to immerse, inspire and move Londoners like never before".Global said its plans were "underpinned by sustainability – from solar-powered screen assembly to carbon-neutral materials and modular screens that can be repaired easily".Chris Forrester, managing director of commercial said: "Londoners have always looked to the Tube to tell them what's going on, what's new, and where they need to be."The corridors and carriages of the London Underground aren't just ad space – they're a part of the very fabric of London life and a creative canvas for advertisers".
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS trust uses derogatory ‘terf' slur in official guidance
An NHS trust has come under fire for using the derogatory term 'terf' in a guide on how to support transgender staff. In documents drawn up by the North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT), the guidance uses the slur, which stands for 'transgender-exclusionary radical feminist', to describe women who do not want to share single-sex facilities with trans women. The document also claims that it is 'unlawful' to exclude trans women from women-only spaces around the hospital. It comes after the Supreme Court ruled the opposite two weeks ago, declaring that a woman is defined by biological sex under equality laws. It means those born male are not able to access a women-only space even if they have changed the gender they identify as, and provides clarity following high-profile disputes such as the case of the Dr Beth Upton, in which transgender NHS staff have used women's changing rooms or lavatories. After the use of the offensive term was flagged to the NHS by The Telegraph, officials warned the trust not to use 'derogatory or dismissive language', while the trust itself said its guidance was now under review. NELFT, which specialises in community and mental health, provides services to people in parts of north and east London as well as Essex and Kent. Its staff policy, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, is called 'supporting colleagues who identify as transgender, non-binary and other gender identities'. Within this document it refers to 'trans-exclusionary radical feminists', also known by the acronym 'terf', stating that this group 'may feel that trans inclusion is an infringement on their beliefs or values'. The term appeared on numerous placards during a protest by trans activists in central London against the Supreme Court ruling last week, with the Metropolitan Police reviewing death threats made against women. Signs included phrases such as 'the only good terf is a ---- one', alongside the image of a hangman's noose. Fiona, a women's rights campaigner, told The Telegraph the slur was used to silence and 'incite violence against' women. 'Given that the term terf has been used to dehumanise and silence women it is particularly egregious that this slur is used in the Equality Impact Assessment which is supposed to be the fair and balanced legal section required under the Public Services Duty in the Equality Act,' she said. In regards to the stance taken by NELFT against its female employees who do not want to share single-sex facilities with trans women, she said: '[The] Supreme Court has now confirmed that this was just not just a problematic feeling – it is and always was the law.' NELFT's staff guidance was authored by EDI managers and LGBTQ staff network leaders and signed off by two executives. It was published in the months after Maya Forstater, the co-founder of charity Sex Matters, won a landmark employment tribunal in 2021 that declared 'gender-critical beliefs' were protected and should be respected in a democracy. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at the charity, said the NELFT's attitude towards women 'reflects the abysmal response from many NHS trusts to the Supreme Court judgment'. 'Terf is a term used by trans activists to demonise women who are working to restore and protect hard-fought rights to single-sex services and spaces,' she said. 'By the time this guidance was published, Forstater v CGD had already established that gender-critical views are legally protected, further illustrating the long-standing contempt for the law within the NHS.' The trust's guidance also makes claims 'some cisgender people have unlawful discriminatory views of trans people using single-sex spaces such as using gendered toilets'. Like other trusts in London, its single-sex accommodation policy for patients allows trans women to share wards and lavatories with women. It also has a 'gold award' from the controversial charity Stonewall for its 'commitment' to LGBTQ policies. It comes as a wing of the British Medical Association (BMA), the leading doctors' union, has been accused of 'destroying trust in medicine' and perpetuating 'medical misogyny' after some members condemned the Supreme Court's ruling. Its group of resident doctors – formerly junior doctors – passed a motion last week calling the verdict 'scientifically illiterate' and 'biologically nonsensical'. The motion is not yet BMA-wide policy but it is likely to be voted on at its annual meeting in June. Biology in Medicine, a group of doctors who campaign for patients to be treated according to their biological sex, said: 'Activists are destroying trust and integrity in our profession. The denial of the biological reality of sex by the BMA is the culmination of a few activists infiltrating key BMA committees and forums.' Dr Louise Irvine, the co-chairwoman of the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender, said: 'As a doctor, you need to know sex for accurate diagnoses. Sex matters for NHS service provision and single-sex wards. 'It is misogynistic to negate or ignore women's rights. Medical misogyny is a huge problem. The profession has a long, long history of misogyny. Now the BMA is making out that sex is a nebulous concept and category. 'If doctors don't understand sex then I don't think they should be doctors.' An NHS spokesman said: 'Organisations across the NHS are reviewing their policies and guidance to bring them in line with the Supreme Court judgment, and this will take some time. Guidance for staff should clearly not include derogatory or dismissive language, and trusts must take this into account as part of their reviews.' A Department for Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this Government, and we expect Trusts to follow the clarity that the Supreme Court ruling provides.' A spokesman for NELFT said: 'We are reviewing the content of the guidance in light of the recent ruling, as well as the language used to ensure it is respectful and promotes inclusivity, and we will reissue once complete.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
03-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
NHS trust uses derogatory ‘terf' slur in official guidance
An NHS trust has come under fire for using the derogatory term 'terf' in a guide on how to support transgender staff. In documents drawn up by the North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT), the guidance uses the slur, which stands for 'transgender-exclusionary radical feminist', to describe women who do not want to share single-sex facilities with trans women. The document also claims that it is 'unlawful' to exclude trans women from women-only spaces around the hospital. It comes after the Supreme Court ruled the opposite two weeks ago, declaring that a woman is defined by biological sex under equality laws. It means those born male are not able to access a women-only space even if they have changed the gender they identify as, and provides clarity following high-profile disputes such as the case of the Dr Beth Upton, in which transgender NHS staff have used women's changing rooms or lavatories. After the use of the offensive term was flagged to the NHS by The Telegraph, officials warned the trust not to use 'derogatory or dismissive language', while the trust itself said its guidance was now under review. NELFT, which specialises in community and mental health, provides services to people in parts of north and east London as well as Essex and Kent. Its staff policy, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, is called 'supporting colleagues who identify as transgender, non-binary and other gender identities'. Within this document it refers to 'trans-exclusionary radical feminists', also known by the acronym 'terf', stating that this group 'may feel that trans inclusion is an infringement on their beliefs or values'. The term appeared on numerous placards during a protest by trans activists in central London against the Supreme Court ruling last week, with the Metropolitan Police reviewing death threats made against women. Signs included phrases such as 'the only good terf is a ---- one', alongside the image of a hangman's noose. Fiona, a women's rights campaigner, told The Telegraph the slur was used to silence and 'incite violence against' women. 'Given that the term terf has been used to dehumanise and silence women it is particularly egregious that this slur is used in the Equality Impact Assessment which is supposed to be the fair and balanced legal section required under the Public Services Duty in the Equality Act,' she said. In regards to the stance taken by NELFT against its female employees who do not want to share single-sex facilities with trans women, she said: '[The] Supreme Court has now confirmed that this was just not just a problematic feeling – it is and always was the law.' NELFT's staff guidance was authored by EDI managers and LGBTQ staff network leaders and signed off by two executives. It was published in the months after Maya Forstater, the co-founder of charity Sex Matters, won a landmark employment tribunal in 2021 that declared 'gender-critical beliefs' were protected and should be respected in a democracy. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at the charity, said the NELFT's attitude towards women 'reflects the abysmal response from many NHS trusts to the Supreme Court judgment'. 'Terf is a term used by trans activists to demonise women who are working to restore and protect hard-fought rights to single-sex services and spaces,' she said. 'By the time this guidance was published, Forstater v CGD had already established that gender-critical views are legally protected, further illustrating the long-standing contempt for the law within the NHS.' The trust's guidance also makes claims 'some cisgender people have unlawful discriminatory views of trans people using single-sex spaces such as using gendered toilets'. Like other trusts in London, its single-sex accommodation policy for patients allows trans women to share wards and lavatories with women. It also has a 'gold award' from the controversial charity Stonewall for its 'commitment' to LGBTQ policies. It comes as a wing of the British Medical Association (BMA), the leading doctors' union, has been accused of 'destroying trust in medicine' and perpetuating 'medical misogyny' after some members condemned the Supreme Court's ruling. Its group of resident doctors – formerly junior doctors – passed a motion last week calling the verdict ' scientifically illiterate ' and 'biologically nonsensical'. The motion is not yet BMA-wide policy but it is likely to be voted on at its annual meeting in June. Biology in Medicine, a group of doctors who campaign for patients to be treated according to their biological sex, said: 'Activists are destroying trust and integrity in our profession. The denial of the biological reality of sex by the BMA is the culmination of a few activists infiltrating key BMA committees and forums.' 'Medical misogyny is huge problem' Dr Louise Irvine, the co-chairwoman of the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender, said: 'As a doctor, you need to know sex for accurate diagnoses. Sex matters for NHS service provision and single-sex wards. 'It is misogynistic to negate or ignore women's rights. Medical misogyny is a huge problem. The profession has a long, long history of misogyny. Now the BMA is making out that sex is a nebulous concept and category. 'If doctors don't understand sex then I don't think they should be doctors.' An NHS spokesman said: 'Organisations across the NHS are reviewing their policies and guidance to bring them in line with the Supreme Court judgment, and this will take some time. Guidance for staff should clearly not include derogatory or dismissive language, and trusts must take this into account as part of their reviews.' A Department for Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this Government, and we expect Trusts to follow the clarity that the Supreme Court ruling provides.' A spokesman for NELFT said: 'We are reviewing the content of the guidance in light of the recent ruling, as well as the language used to ensure it is respectful and promotes inclusivity, and we will reissue once complete.'
