Sorry to cut you off, Ms. Royds. Everyone agrees on the objectives. They are commendable, and I support them.
What I wanted to know was how we could achieve those objectives, or apply these criteria, without engaging in segregation.
In practical terms, how can we be sure we aren't putting in place a system that reproduces what we are trying to avoid?
I understand what the objectives are, and we can all agree that they are appropriate. My question is about what we can do to ensure that we aren't engaging in segregation if we seek out very sensitive information and open up a contract to women or members of the Black community.
To make contracts available to certain groups and not others is to engage in segregation.
How can we avoid practices that cause segregation so that everyone feels included and free to submit a bid, knowing that it will be seen, read and considered?