Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Wednesday 21 October 2020 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Flick Drummond asked the Minister to comment on widening the focus of equality to include geography and social economic status for white working-class children.
  • Flick Drummond inquired if the Equality and Human Rights Commission should focus on enforcing equality and human rights law.
  • Marsha de Cordova questioned the evidence that the Government is fulfilling their public sector equality duty during the pandemic.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Flick Drummond Con
Women & Equalities
Context

The MP is inquiring about the Minister's approach to equality issues within her department.

Question

If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities, particularly regarding widening the focus of equality to include geography and social economic status for white working-class children.

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

Alongside sex, race and sexual orientation, geography and social economic status can affect opportunity. I want to widen the focus of our understanding of equality to include outcomes for white working-class children, so we can ensure we are levelling up our country. I have therefore asked the Equality Hub to consider the importance of geography and background alongside factors such as sex, ethnicity and disability. That will make sure we truly level up Britain.

Answered
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Q2 Flick Drummond Con
Women & Equalities
Context

The MP is questioning the focus of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in ensuring equality and human rights law enforcement.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Equality and Human Rights Commission should be focused on its responsibility to enforce equality and human rights law?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I am delighted that we have been able to put forward Baroness Kishwer Falkner as our preferred candidate to chair the Equality and Human Rights Commission. I know she is committed to making sure the commission's focus is on enforcing our important equality laws.

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Q3 Marsha de Cordova Lab Battersea
Women & Equalities
Context

The MP is challenging the Government's actions during the pandemic regarding public sector equality duty as per the Equality Act.

Question

Throughout the pandemic, Ministers have repeatedly failed to take proactive steps to prevent disproportionate impact of covid on disabled, black, Asian and minority ethnic people. What evidence does the Minister have that her Government are fulfilling their public sector equality duty?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

It is completely false to say that the Government have not acted and to deliberately ignore the significant measures we have put in place to reduce the spread of the virus in all communities across the United Kingdom, which we have repeatedly stated in this House. As I mentioned earlier, I will be making a full oral statement tomorrow, but it is known that we have taken many key measures to ensure that NHS frontline staff—in particular, those from ethnic minority backgrounds—are best protected and to ensure we fully understand the links between the virus and ethnicity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked for evidence of compliance with public sector equality duty but the answer provided is defensive without specific evidence.

How: It Is Completely False To Say That The Government Have Not Acted

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Q4 Marsha de Cordova Lab Battersea
NHS
Context

The MP is following up on previous letters sent to the Minister regarding implementation of Public Health England report recommendations.

Question

Two and a half thousand deaths could have been avoided during the first wave of the pandemic had people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities been adequately protected. Last month, I wrote to the Minister asking what steps her Government had taken to address the disproportionate impact of covid, but I have yet to receive a reply and we are now in a second wave. Will she give us an update on progress in implementing the recommendations of the Public Health England report?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The shadow Minister has written many letters to me over the past four months, and I have replied to them. It is simply untrue to say that she has not received a reply. She knows the work we are doing is progressing the recommendations throughout government. The oral statement tomorrow will give ample time for me to fully address and explain all the work the Government have been doing and what the evidence has shown us.

Not addressed: The question asked for an update on progress but was deflected towards a future statement without addressing current status.

How: It Is Simply Untrue To Say That She Has Not Received A Reply

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Q5 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Women & Equalities
Context

The MP is asking about the assessment and steps taken by the Government to understand the impact of increasing numbers of covid-19 cases on the LGBTQ+ community.

Question

Will the Minister tell us what assessment has been made, and what steps are being taken, of the impact the increasing numbers of covid-19 cases and the pandemic are having on the LGBTQ+ community?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

We have been looking at the disproportionate impact the virus has had on very many groups. That is not a group where we have seen a disproportionate impact in terms of the effects of the virus. What has impacted that community is their inability, like the rest of the population, to access healthcare services.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked for assessment and steps but only addressed one aspect without specific actions taken.

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Q6 Selaine Saxby
NHS Environment
Context

The MP is inquiring about the steps being taken by her Department to ensure girls can access period products during partial school closures.

Question

Will my hon. Friend detail what steps her Department is taking to ensure that girls can access period products during the pandemic, especially when only 41% of schools are taking advantage of the Government's offer of free period products? In Environmenstrual Week, does she agree that, wherever possible, those products should be free of plastic?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The Government are taking a range of actions to ensure that everyone can access affordable period products. We are providing fully funded access to free period products in schools and colleges across England. The scheme remained in operation during partial school closures, and we expect uptake to have significantly increased as schools have fully opened. The scheme provides a wide range of products, including environmentally friendly tampons and pads, alongside reusable products such as menstrual cups and reusable pads.

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