Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill: equality impact assessment

This assessment identifies impacts of the Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill on the duty to advance equality, eliminate discrimination and foster good relations with people who share protected characteristics. This Bill outlines contingencies for running the 2021 Election under COVID-19.


Footnotes

1. https://beta.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/scottish-general-election-coronavirus-bill

2. Individuals can register to vote by: completing the annual canvas sent to their place of residence (after which they’ll be sent registration form); by registering online, downloading a paper form, or by calling their local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).

3. See for example, EMB guidance for local authority by-elections: https://www.emb.scot/downloads/download/147/supplementary-guidance-delivering-local-authority-by-elections-in-a-covid-19-context---2020 and Electoral Commission guidance for the Scottish Parliament elections: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/electoral-administrator/scottish-parliamentary-elections

4. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/426/made

5. Section 4 of the Equality Act 2010

6. The Scottish Government does not require assessment against the ‘marriage or civil partnership’ protected characteristic unless the policy or practice relates to work, for example HR policies and practices.

7. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/ 

8. And the Convener of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland recommended on 10 December 2020 that polling occur on a single day: https://www.emb.scot/news/article/3/assessment-of-the-need-to-hold-polling-over-multiple-days-at-the-scottish-parliament-election-scheduled-for-6-may-2021

9. https://democracyvolunteers.org/covid-19/

10. https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=12952 at column 50

11. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/our-research/public-attitudes-towards-voting-scotland-context-covid-19 

12. https://www.emb.scot/downloads/download/147/supplementary-guidance-delivering-local-authority-by-elections-in-a-covid-19-context

13. As noted in previous sections, this measure is not in the Bill, but will be provided for in the Conduct Order for the Scottish Parliament election.

14. Bespoke analysis based on Scottish Household Survey 2019 data (Annual report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/

15. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/population/population-estimates/mid-year-population-estimates/mid-2019

16. https://www.gov.scot/publications/inequalities-by-age-in-the-context-of-covid-19-slide-pack/

17. https://www.gov.scot/publications/inequalities-by-age-in-the-context-of-covid-19-slide-pack/ 

18. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-key-findings/pages/9/ 

19. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/ 

20. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/ 

21. Bespoke analysis based on Scottish Household Survey 2019 data (Annual report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/)

22. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/our-research/public-attitudes-towards-voting-scotland-context-covid-19

23. Scottish Health Survey 2019: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-health-survey-2019-volume-1-main-report/pages/4/

24. Scottish Health Survey 2019: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-health-survey-2019-volume-1-main-report/pages/4/

25. https://www.gov.scot/publications/inequalities-by-disability-in-the-context-of-covid-19-slide-pack/

26. https://www.gov.scot/publications/registered-blind-partially-sighted-persons-scotland-2010/ 

27. https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/knowledge-and-research-hub/key-information-and-statistics/sight-loss-data-tool 

28. Scottish household Survey 2019: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/

29. Scottish household Survey 2019: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/

30. Bespoke analysis based on Scottish Household Survey 2019 data (Annual report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/

31. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/our-research/public-attitudes-towards-voting-scotland-context-covid-19

32. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/whos-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/

33. https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/

34. https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-scotlands-strategic-framework/pages/2/

35. https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-at-risk-groups-slide-pack/ - National Records of Scotland – analysis of death certificates which mention COVID-19, accounting for age, gender, area-based deprivation and urban-rural classification. The South Asian ethnic group includes Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi Scottish or Bangladeshi British; Indian, Indian Scottish or Indian British; Pakistani, Pakistani Scottish or Pakistani British.

36. Bespoke analysis based on Scottish Household Survey 2019 data (Annual report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/

37. Bespoke analysis based on Scottish Household Survey 2019 data (Annual report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/

38. Section 9 of the Equality Act 2010 

39. Correspondence received 13 November 2020 from Colin Lee, Chief Executive, CEMVO Scotland

40. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/coronaviruscovid19relateddeathsbyreligiousgroupenglandandwales/2marchto15may2020 

41. https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-health-and-social-impact-assessment/

42. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/

43. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/our-research/public-attitudes-towards-voting-scotland-context-covid-19 

44. https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-at-risk-groups-slide-pack/ 

45. https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-at-risk-groups-slide-pack/

46. https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-at-risk-groups-slide-pack/

47. https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-at-risk-groups-slide-pack/

48. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2019-annual-report/

49. https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-scotlands-strategic-framework/pages/2/

Contact

Email: ElectionsTeam@gov.scot

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