Race Disparity Audit

Thursday 11th October 2018 Written Statements

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr David Lidington)]

At the publication of the race disparity audit a year ago, the Government committed to “explain or change” the issues highlighted on the audit’s website Ethnicity Facts and Figures.

Since October 2017 we have taken action in education, employment, health, criminal justice and:

Provided targeted employment supporting in 20 areas across the UK. The gap between employment rates of working age people in ethnic minority groups and in the whole population is now at a record low.

Taken action on the recommendations of the Lammy review including to increase diversity of prison officer intake; funded development of an education programme to prepare lawyers from a range of backgrounds to apply for judicial office; and extended the range of justice data we provide broken down by ethnicity.

Announced £90 million of funding from dormant bank accounts to support young people facing barriers to employment into work. Applications for the first allocation of this funding are open today to support grass roots organisations in Bradford, Birmingham and Barking and Dagenham.

Started work to tackle disparities in the rate of exclusions in schools and the application of the Mental Health Act.

The audit’s website Ethnicity Facts and Figures has been continually updated and extended to allow the public to see if outcomes are getting better or worse across over 160 topics. We have taken a co-ordinated and strategic approach, led by the race disparity unit in Cabinet Office, which I oversee as chair of the inter-ministerial group.

Today, the Government are announcing further action to see employers adopting fair employment practices which ensure all staff, particularly those from an ethnic minority background, do as well as they are able in terms of recruitment and progression.

Specifically the Government are:

Inviting employers to sign up to a Race at Work Charter, which sets out effective practices that support fairness at work;

Setting new ambitions in key public services to increase the proportion of senior leaders who come from an ethnic minority background;

Taking action through public procurement to encourage Government suppliers to adopt fair employment practices; and

Consulting on how mandatory ethnicity pay reporting can best drive action without placing undue burdens on business.

Select Committees were notified of the publication of the consultation on ethnicity pay reporting and the update on the progress tackling racial disparity in the criminal justice system, and copies of relevant documents have been placed in the Library of the House.

[HCWS996]