1Public sector duty regarding socio-economic inequalities
(1)An authority to which this section applies must, when making decisions of a strategic nature about how to exercise its functions, have due regard to the desirability of exercising them in a way that is designed to reduce the inequalities of outcome which result from socio-economic disadvantage.
(2)In deciding how to fulfil a duty to which it is subject under subsection (1), an authority must take into account any guidance issued by a Minister of the Crown.
(3)The authorities to which this section applies are—
(a)a Minister of the Crown;
(b)a government department other than the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service or the Government Communications Head-quarters;
(c)a county council or district council in England;
(d)the Greater London Authority;
(e)a London borough council;
(f)the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a local authority;
(g)the Council of the Isles of Scilly;
(h)a Strategic Health Authority established under section 13 of the National Health Service Act 2006, or continued in existence by virtue of that section;
(i)a Primary Care Trust established under section 18 of that Act, or continued in existence by virtue of that section;
(j)a regional development agency established by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998;
(k)a police authority established for an area in England.
(4)This section also applies to an authority that—
(a)is a partner authority in relation to a responsible local authority, and
(b)does not fall within subsection (3),
but only in relation to its participation in the preparation or modification of a sustainable community strategy.
(5)In subsection (4)—
“partner authority” has the meaning given by section 104 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007;
“responsible local authority” has the meaning given by section 103 of that Act;
“sustainable community strategy” means a strategy prepared under section 4 of the Local Government Act 2000.
(6)The reference to inequalities in subsection (1) does not include any inequalities experienced by a person as a result of being a person subject to immigration control within the meaning given by section 115(9) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.