Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department spent on equality, diversity and inclusion (a) events and (b) training in the last 12 months.

The Government is auditing the cost-effectiveness of all equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) activities, through the review of EDI spending announced last June. As stated in the Autumn Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Minister for the Cabinet Office will be outlining the final proposals in response to the review in due course.

In the last 12 months from February 2023, the Department has centrally delivered two training sessions on dealing with unacceptable behaviour at total a cost of £4080, inclusive of VAT.

There is no departmental register of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training, and events that take place at a local level across the Department. Whilst our finance function holds invoices for any services delivered to the Department, we are unable to differentiate those specifically received for EDI training or events.

All Department staff are required to complete the Civil Service Expectations mandatory learning that includes aspects of EDI, and is delivered centrally through Civil Service Learning at no additional cost to the Department.