Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many equality impact assessments have been carried out in the last three years on public service reforms which impact on (a) departmental staff and (b) members of the public; and if she will make a statement.

Current legislation does not specify how this information needs to be recorded and it is not a statutory requirement in England to prepare or publish information in a particular format.

The Home Office uses Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) and Policy Equality Statements (PES) to detail equality considerations and demonstrate due regard has been paid in the delivery of our services, in line with our obligations under the Public Sector Equality duty.

Home Office directorates are instructed to complete an EIA or a PES whenever;

• There are changes to existing policy, guidance or operational activity
• There are reviews of existing policy, guidance or operational activity
• There are changes to policies that affect staff during restructuring