Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff in their Department have job titles that include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Nine DBT staff members have the words equality and/or gender in their job titles. These roles are all externally facing roles, responsible for negotiating provisions and chapters within bilateral and multilateral contexts. There are no DBT staff members with diversity; inclusion; LGBT; or race in their job title.
The Government is auditing the cost-effectiveness of all activities that support the
equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) of the workforce, through the review of EDI
spending announced last June. As stated in the Autumn Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Minister for Cabinet Office will be outlining the final proposals in response to the review in due course.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many equalities impact assessments her Department completed in each of the last five years for which data is available.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Under the Public Sector Equality Duty (the Duty) all public authorities, including Government departments, are required by law to ensure that they have due regard to certain equality considerations when carrying out their functions. While ‘equality impact assessments’ may be produced, there is no legal requirement for Duty assessments to be recorded in a specific format.
The Department promotes awareness of the Duty as well as relevant analytical and other tools to help ensure compliance with the Duty in departmental decision making.