British Humanists' Report Criticizes Faith-Based Services In UK

The British Humanist Association today announced the release of a new report titled Quality and Equality: Human Rights, Public Services and Religious Organisations (full text) (Executive Summary). The report focuses on BHA's concern about the increasing use of religious organizations in Britain to supply social services under contract with the government. In its press release, BHA described its conclusions:

The report’s findings demonstrate that there is no evidence that religious organisations offer any distinctive benefits to the supply and provision of public services and actually that the Government’s clear policy objective of expanding the role of religious organisations within the public services runs the risk of lowering standards, increasing inequalities, introducing ‘parallel services’ and damaging social cohesion.

The research warns of the dangers of discrimination against staff not protected by Employment Equality Regulations pertaining to religion or belief or sexual orientation because of the exemptions that religious organisations have from equality legislation, and of potential barriers to accessing public services for the general public.