Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings he has held with (a) his Cabinet colleagues and (b) Ministers of other Government departments on the establishment of the Office for Tackling Injustices in each month since July 2019.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the Hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the Prime Minister on 16 July 2020, which outlines the plans for a new cross-government Commission to review inequality in the UK. This Commission has superseded the proposals from the last Administration to create an Office for Tackling Injustice.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what provision for funding the Office for Tackling Injustices (a) was made in his Department’s Supplementary Estimate for 2019-20 and (b) is planned to be made in his Department’s Main Estimate for 2020-21.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the Hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the Prime Minister on 16 July 2020, which outlines the plans for a new cross-government Commission to review inequality in the UK. This Commission has superseded the proposals from the last Administration to create an Office for Tackling Injustice.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse has been of establishing the Office for Tackling Injustices under the Administrations of the (a) previous and (b) current Prime Minister.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the Hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the Prime Minister on 16 July 2020, which outlines the plans for a new cross-government Commission to review inequality in the UK. This Commission has superseded the proposals from the last Administration to create an Office for Tackling Injustice.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of merging the four cross-departmental BAME staff networks in the Civil Service to improve efficiency.
Answered by Chloe Smith
These networks are led by civil servants on a voluntary basis, and the network leaders themselves felt that maintaining separate networks was important.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Office for Tackling Injustices is planned to be established.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Further to the answer given to PQ 1870 on 7 April 2020, announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the remit will be of the Office for Tackling Injustices.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Further to the answer given to PQ 1870 on 7 April 2020, announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what budget has been allocated to the Office for Tackling Injustices.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Further to the answer given to PQ 1870 on 7 April 2020, announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the spread of covid-19 in public spaces of listing cleaners as key workers.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Our message to the British public is clear: stay at home, in order to protect the NHS and save lives. The position remains, as outlined on gov.uk, that everyone who can work from home should do so.
Where that is not possible, people should go into work where it is safe and they are not symptomatic, isolating or shielding. Relevant guidance including from Public Health England should be followed.
In terms of the provision of education for certain workers, it is already the case that cleaners working in, for example, hospitals and social care could be eligible as long as "their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service". This is set out here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision.
The Government has placed restrictions on the operations of certain businesses as part of the strategy to ensure people stay at home and away from others. Separate guidance has been published on this and is also available on gov.uk. Scientific evidence supporting the government’s response is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the effect of covid-19 on women's (a) financial security, (b) ability to work and (c) mental health has been discussed at recent COBRA meetings.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
It is a long established precedent that detailed information about internal discussions are not shared publicly.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to improve reporting on LGBT+ inclusion in the civil service.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Civil Service is committed to being an LGBT+ inclusive employer. Information about the composition of the Civil Service workforce, including representation by sexual orientation, is published on gov.uk. Results of the annual Civil Service People Survey, including a breakdown by sexual orientation, are also published.
The Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy (2017) committed to increasing the number of civil servants who record their sexual orientation data on HR systems. Reporting rates are steadily increasing, and have risen to 57% in 2019. In addition, the Civil Service People Survey has since 2018 included questions to allow analysis of the experiences of transgender civil servants.
The Civil Service is also working with the Office for National Statistics and the Government Equalities Office to develop standardised questions to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity, ensuring that data on LGBT inclusion is collected by all departments, and can be reported centrally, in a consistent way.