To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to outline the reasons why it has taken two years, from the restoration of the Executive in February 2024, to begin consultation on a draft Framework for Race Relations.

We are pleased to have commenced a public consultation on the draft Framework for Race Relations and associated two-year Delivery Plan.

In doing so, it was important that we took into account the progress and learning from the delivery of the previous Racial Equality Strategy to inform our approach, and an independent review was completed.

It was equally important that the strategy was informed by stakeholders and those with lived experience.

Work has therefore been ongoing over the past two years including:

A public Call for Views;

A visioning day with the Racial Equality Subgroup;

Workshops with the Traveller and Roma Thematic Groups;

Extensive engagement with departments, counterparts in other jurisdictions and statutory bodies; and

the commissioning of a wider society research piece to determine the drivers of racism.

Collectively, these were important foundations in setting strategic direction before public consultation could commence.