Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Employment Gap: Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority People

Wednesday 7 July 2021 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Rupa Huq asked the Minister about steps being taken with the Chancellor to reduce the employment gap for Black, Asian and ethnic minority people.
  • The Minister mentioned that the Government are committed to supporting people from all backgrounds with initiatives like the 2 billion kickstart scheme and 13,000 extra job coaches.
  • The Minister offered to write to Rupa Huq with a more detailed response regarding the Government's plans in light of recent findings by the Office for National Statistics.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question addresses the employment gap faced by BAME individuals in the UK. The Office for National Statistics reports that during the coronavirus pandemic, BAME communities were less likely to hold management positions, more likely to be unemployed, and had lower earnings.

Question

What steps is she taking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reduce the employment gap for Black, Asian and ethnic minority people?

Answer from Guy Opperman

The Government are committed to supporting people from all backgrounds to move into work. Clearly, £2 billion has been spent on kickstart. There are 13,000 extra job coaches, and the job entry targeted support scheme is also being rolled out. For black, Asian and minority ethnic claimants specifically, we are taking action in 20 local authority areas with high populations of ethnic minority people.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specifics of how these measures will reduce the employment gap for BAME individuals were not addressed.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
Employment Women & Equalities
Context

The Office for National Statistics reports that BAME individuals during the coronavirus pandemic were less likely to hold management positions, more likely to be unemployed, and earned less. The Government's own McGregor report has identified issues related to these disparities.

Question

With the Office for National Statistics finding that in coronavirus, black and minority ethnic people are less likely to be in management positions, more likely to be unemployed and more likely to earn less, confirming the Government's own McGregor [Inaudible.] report, when will the Government implement its 26 recommendations?

Answer from Guy Opperman

I am happy to write to the hon. Lady through the Department when she gives me a more detailed version. I can just answer that we have 500 kickstart jobs per day, and from 20 locations—from Bradford to Barnet, Glasgow to Leicester, and Manchester to her own Ealing community—jobcentres are specifically helping BAME people.

Not addressed: The question asked for a timeline on implementing the McGregor report recommendations, but no specific timeline was provided.

How: I Am Happy To Write To The Hon. Lady Through The Department When She Gives Me A More Detailed Version

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email