Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Helen Grant Excerpts
Thursday 14th February 2013

(11 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Virendra Sharma Portrait Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)
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5. What steps she is taking to improve the position of black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in the workplace.

Helen Grant Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities (Mrs Helen Grant)
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Tackling unemployment is a priority for this Government, and our approach is to support people according to individual needs. There are 3 million ethnic minority people employed in this country—far more than ever before—and we are determined that this progress will continue.

Virendra Sharma Portrait Mr Sharma
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The all-party parliamentary group on race and community report on ethnic minority female employment found that Pakistani and Bangladeshi women are particularly affected by unemployment, with unemployment rates of 20.5% compared with 6.8% for white women. Is it not high time that the Government revisited their colour blind approach to unemployment and started to take specific steps to support BME communities to access the labour market?

Helen Grant Portrait Mrs Grant
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The Government have provided a wide range of targeted support through Jobcentre Plus, the Work programme, the Youth Contract and our “get Britain working” measures. As a result of the increased flexibility that we have given to providers, interventions can be tailored to specific needs.

Henry Smith Portrait Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)
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6. What progress she has made on the reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Helen Grant Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities (Mrs Helen Grant)
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We have completed many key aspects of our reform programme. We have appointed a dynamic new chair and a strong and diverse board, and have reached agreement on a budget. We want the Equality and Human Rights Commission to go from strength to strength, and to be one of our most valued and respected national institutions.

Henry Smith Portrait Henry Smith
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What effect might the reform have on the commission’s status as an A-rated national human rights institution?

Helen Grant Portrait Mrs Grant
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We all want a strong and effective A-rated human rights institution, and that is what our reforms are intended to achieve. We engage in positive, ongoing dialogue with the international co-ordinating committee, and we will ensure that it continues.

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
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7. What steps she is taking to increase female representation on company boards. [R]