{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003/section-27",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003/section-27.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/21",
  "legislation_title": "Communications Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003",
  "path": "section/27",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "27",
  "heading": "Training and equality of opportunity",
  "text": "(1) It shall be the duty of OFCOM to take all such steps as they consider appropriate for promoting the development of opportunities for the training and retraining of persons—\n(a) for employment by persons providing television and radio services; and\n(b) for work in connection with the provision of such services otherwise than as an employee.\n(2) It shall be the duty of OFCOM to take all such steps as they consider appropriate for promoting equality of opportunity in relation to both—\n(a) employment by those providing television and radio services; and\n(b) the training and retraining of persons for such employment.\n(3) It shall also be the duty of OFCOM, in relation to such employment, training and retraining, to take all such steps as they consider appropriate for promoting the equalisation of opportunities for disabled persons.\n(4) The reference in subsection (2) to equality of opportunity is a reference to equality of opportunity—\n(a) between men and women; and\n(b) between persons of different racial groups.\n(5) In this section—\n“disabled” has the same meaning as in the Equality Act 2010 or, in Northern Ireland, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c. 50);\n“racial group” has the same meaning as in the Race Relations Act 1976 (c. 74) Equality Act 2010 or, in Northern Ireland, the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/869 (N.I. 6)).\n(6) The Secretary of State may by order amend subsection (4) by adding any other form of equality of opportunity that he considers appropriate.\n(7) No order is to be made containing provision authorised by subsection (6) unless a draft of the order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 27(5) inserted by 2010 c. 15, Sch. 26 Pt. 1 para. 54(a) (as inserted (E.W.S.) (1.10.2010) by The Equality Act 2010 (Consequential Amendments, Saving and Supplementary Provisions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2279), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 5) (see S.I. 2010/2317, art. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 27(5) substituted by 2010 c. 15, Sch. 26 Pt. 1 para. 54(b) (as inserted (E.W.S.) (1.10.2010) by The Equality Act 2010 (Consequential Amendments, Saving and Supplementary Provisions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2279), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 5) (see S.I. 2010/2317, art. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 27 in force at 29.12.2003 by S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/27",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:18:16.154105+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}