30m pounds of taxpayers' money find if ethnic Chinese, gays being discriminated

London, Jan 23 (ANI): The UK government is facing fire for using tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money to ensure that new equality laws are not discriminating against minority groups.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) paid 100,000 pounds to consultants for reporting if efforts to boost Britain's coastal fish stocks would affect minority communities including the Chinese, homosexuals and Welsh speakers.

And the Department for Transport issued a study this month looking at harassment and discrimination on ships and hovercraft. The report covered a range of groups, including transsexuals.

"The Coalition should scale back the Equality Act. The last thing hard-pressed public bodies need is this blizzard of extra bureaucracy - wasting their time and millions of pounds of taxpayers' money. It's not just political correctness. It's also bitterly divisive to carve up our society into artificial social categories," the Daily Mail quoted Conservative MP Dominic Raab, as saying.

Other bizarre initiatives by Government departments and other public bodies surrounding the Equality Act include:

Officials at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport carrying out an 'equality impact assessment' to ensure minority groups are able to take a full part in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations next summer.

Government officials undertaking a study into India's traditional caste system and its implications for discrimination in the UK.

The promotion of the first leadership course specifically for gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual National Health Service managers.

The Equality Act was championed by Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman.

Conservative MP Philip Davies said, "This is the kind of politically corrupt drivel that we had come to expect from Harriet Harman and the previous Government, but it is the type of thing that makes the public's blood boil and it is a complete waste of everyone's time and money. These Government assessments are ludicrous and pointless.

"I hope this Government will show some common sense and scrap much of this legislation. In many respects, Theresa May is as bad as Harriet Harman." (ANI)