Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment the Government has made of the effect of the provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020 on people with protected characteristics.

An equalities assessment was carried out on the Coronavirus Act and was published on the 28 July. - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-act-2020-equality-impact-assessment

We are undertaking a wide range of analysis to support decision making across government. We are keeping Parliament and the wider public updated on the analysis of covid including through several survey publications on business and social impacts available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-statistics-and-analysis#social-impacts.

More broadly, equality impacts have been identified as part of an ongoing process to support policy development and have been a key part of the decision-making process. The responsibility for equalities impact assessments lies with departments, who take this responsibility very seriously.

It is important to note that protected characteristics refer to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation; the Equality Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of any of these characteristics.