audio by title 'introduction and welcome'

The Department of Health’s Equalities and Human Rights group organises an annual conference for stakeholders interested in the work of its Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Advisory Group (SOGIAG). Over the course of a full day’s proceedings each of the various work stream chairs normally present details of what their team has been working on during the year. Senior civil servants also discuss their work and inclusion aims too.

Barry Mussenden is a senior civil servant in the Depatment of Health, responsible for the SOGIAG programme and other Equality and Human Rights projects. He began his introduction to the day’s proceedings with a tribute to what’s been achieved by the various work streams so far and with a formal announcement that the programme’s budget for 2007-08 has leapt to £250,000 from the previous year’s level of £100,000.