Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Government Equalities Office: Policy Relating to Men

Wednesday 12 July 2023 · 3 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government Equalities Office is already addressing issues related to men and boys through initiatives like shared parental leave.
  • Nicholas Fletcher inquired if there should be a Minister for Men, akin to the role for women, to which the Minister thanked him for his work and highlighted health-related initiatives for men.
  • Margaret Ferrier raised the issue of sanitary bins in men's toilets, as highlighted by the Boys Need Bins campaign, and the Minister confirmed that her colleagues from the Department for Work and Pensions are looking into the matter.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nicholas Fletcher
Women & Equalities
Context

The issue of including men on the list of Government Equalities Office responsibilities is raised.

Question

If she will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of including policy relating to men on the list of Government Equalities Office responsibilities.

Answer from Maria Caulfield

The Government are already taking action to improve outcomes for men and boys. For example, through the introduction of shared parental leave, men now have more opportunity to take time away from the workplace to care for their children. We continue to work closely across Government to embed equalities policies for both men and women.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked about including policy relating to men on the list of responsibilities but the Minister did not explicitly commit to holding discussions or adding this to the scope of responsibility.

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Q2 Nicholas Fletcher
Women & Equalities
Context

Following an initial question, the questioner asks if there should be a dedicated Minister for Men similar to the one for Women.

Question

I thank the Minister for her answer, but does she believe that there should be a Minister for Men, as there is a Minister for Women?

Answer from Maria Caulfield

I thank my hon. Friend for his hard work in this space as chair of the all-party group on issues affecting men and boys. He knows—this is with my health hat on—of the work that we are doing to improve lung cancer outcomes for men, and about the suicide prevention strategy that will be coming forward; we know that middle-aged men are at particular risk. I reassure him that the Equality Hub has responsibility for both men and women to ensure equality for all, and I will speak to the Minister for Women and Equalities so that we can be clearer about how that work impacts on men.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked if there should be a Minister for Men but the answer did not commit to establishing such a role, instead highlighting existing efforts and reassurances.

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Q3 Margaret Ferrier SNP
Women & Equalities
Context

Current legislation mandates sanitary bins in female and gender-neutral toilets, but not in male toilets. The Boys Need Bins campaign highlights the need for hygiene bins in men's restrooms.

Question

Current legislation requires all public facilities to have sanitary bins in female and gender-neutral toilets. However, as highlighted by the Boys Need Bins campaign, hygiene bins need to be provided in men's toilets. What steps is the Minister taking to introduce legislation that addresses that issue?

Answer from Maria Caulfield

I reassure the hon. Lady that work is going on in that space. My ministerial colleagues from the Department for Work and Pensions are looking at this, and will be updating the House shortly.[Official Report, 17 July 2023, Vol. 736, c. 9MC.]

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked for specific steps towards legislation but the Minister did not provide a concrete timeline or commitment to introduce new legislation.

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