Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2023 to Question 177871 on Attorney General: Disability, whether she plans to take steps to increase the proportion of her Department's employees who identify as having a disability.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is an inclusive employer which promotes equality and aims to reflect the diversity of the society in which we live. The AGO is committed to maximising the skills and potential of all employees. All recruitment campaigns welcome applications from suitably qualified persons irrespective of disability, race, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status or religion/belief. |
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what proportion of their Department's employees are recorded as having a disability.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
As of 31st March 2023, the proportion of employees in the Attorney General’s Office recorded as having a disability was 5%.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2022 to Question 110472 on National Scrutiny Panel on Disability Hate Crime, if she will respond to the the request to publish further details of the membership of the National Scrutiny Panel on Disability Hate Crime.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
National Scrutiny Panels (NSPs) are one-off, non-recurring meetings designed to focus on a specific topic relating to Hate Crime. The format and membership of each NSP is adapted to the context of the specific topic under consideration. The overarching approach is to seek representation from: community perspectives; relevant Government departments; the police and academic or other specialist interests.
For the National Scrutiny Panel on Disability Hate Crime, the following were invited to participate: Dimensions; Inclusion London; the Disability Network; Disability Rights UK; Members of CPS Area Local Involvement and Scrutiny Panels; the National Autistic Society; MIND; Home Office; Ministry of Justice; HMCTS; National Police Chiefs Council and two specialists with a focus on Disability Hate Crime.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy, published July 2021, what recent steps her Department has taken on (a) encouraging and supporting workplace disability networks, (b) achieving and maintaining the highest level of Disability Confident accreditation, (c) ensuring responsive and timely support to meet workplace adjustment needs and (d) developing and embedding flexible working.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is supported by the Government Legal Department’s (GLD) Human Resource (HR) function and policies though a shared services agreement. GLD’s current D&I Strategy (2019-2022) and yearly D&I Delivery Plan has been the foundation for many supportive disability policies throughout the department. All of GLD’s Diversity Networks, including GLD's Disability and Wellness Network (DAWN), contribute to annual reviews of the strategy and delivery plan and have been active in supporting improvements in workplace adjustments and career development for all staff. An HR D&I lead also participates in DAWN’s regular committee meetings, and HR meets with all of the Diversity Network Champions and Chairs on a six-monthly basis.
GLD currently holds the Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) status, accredited in January 2018, and was upheld in January 2021 for three years, with a working group supporting the actions going forward.
GLD provides a range of guidance and tools on workplace adjustments accessible by all staff, including advice on how to determine when a workplace adjustment might be appropriate, steps to make a workplace adjustment, a workplace adjustment passport, best practice guidance, and manager awareness sessions. GLD also offer Occupational Health referrals, to offer advice in relation to workplace adjustments.
GLD, with support from the Flexible Working Network and Senior Champions, developed a flexible working policy which allows employees to consider flexible working arrangements, including annualised hours, compressed hours, flexi-time, home-working, job-sharing, part-time working, phased retirement, staggered hours and term-time working.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2022 to Question 102715 on Disability: Crimes of Violence, if she will publish further details of the membership of the National Scrutiny Panel on Disability Hate Crime.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
A National Scrutiny Panel on Disability Hate Crime was convened by the CPS in March 2021, consisting of community stakeholders, academics and police. The Panel focused on in-depth scrutiny of the handling of disability hate crime cases. As a result, the CPS will this month circulate a bulletin to all prosecutors. This will highlight key findings, lessons and top tips arising from the review. In addition, operational guidance has been refreshed and will be launched this month. It will provide prosecutors with an updated appreciation of how disability hate crime occurs, based on the lived experience of disabled people.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy published 28 July 2021, what progress she has made on forming the Crown Prosecution Service panel to advise on improvements for support to prosecutors and the Policy Statement on Disability Hate Crime and Other Crimes against Disabled People.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
A National Scrutiny Panel on Disability Hate Crime was convened by the CPS in March 2021. The Panel consisted of community stakeholders, academics and police. Discussion focused on a deep-dive into the handling of disability hate crime cases. As a result, the CPS will this month circulate a bulletin to all prosecutors. This will highlight key findings, lessons and top tips arising from the review. In addition, operational guidance has been refreshed and will be launched this month. It will provide prosecutors with an updated appreciation of how disability hate crime occurs, based on the lived experience of disabled people.
Building on this review, a refreshed communications approach is aiming to raise awareness of hate crime and in particular the confidence to report. The CPS Hate Crime webpage has been refreshed, along with prosecution guidance, policy statements, operational guidance and promotional material.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Attorney General:
What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving prosecution rates for knife crime.
Answered by Robert Buckland
Government departments are working quickly to tackle this serious issue.
As part of our strong response, the Prime Minister hosted a Serious Youth Violence Summit at 10 Downing Street, with the support of the Home Secretary, from 1 to 4 April, which I took part in.
The Summit will now lead on to an increased programme of work across Government and beyond that will be overseen by a new Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Prime Minister, to drive action across Government.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on tackling knife crime.
Answered by Robert Buckland
As a member of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation, I meet on a regular basis with colleagues with a focus on the priority to reduce violence and knife crime.
The Home Office has recently undertaken a consultation on dangerous and offensive weapons, which includes proposals for new knife offences and to strengthen measures to tackle the cycle of violence and threat to safety posed by knife crime.