Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many staff in the Government Legal Department received public sector equality training in the period between (a) 13 February 2020 to 2 August 2022, (b) 3 August 2022 to 6 September 2022, and (c) 7 September 2022 to 15 May 2023.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Training on the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and other elements of equality law is provided to GLD staff in a range of formats, including live training sessions and on demand video content and e-learning modules.
The table below provides the total number of individuals recorded as having engaged with all formats of training during the time periods in question.
Time period | Number of individuals |
13 February 2020 to 2 August 2022 | 637 |
3 August 2022 to 6 September 2022 | 6 |
7 September 2022 to 15 May 2023 | 178 |
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason pregnant women detained under the Illegal Migration Bill will not be subject to the 72 hour detention limit introduced in 2016; and what steps she has taken to assess the potential impact of the Illegal Migration Bill on pregnant women.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
It is important that we do not inadvertently create perverse incentives for evil people smuggling gangs to target particularly venerable groups. Therefore, pregnant women who come to the UK illegally and fall within the duty to remove will not be exempt from detention and removal under this Bill.
The Home Office takes the welfare of those in detention seriously. We will only detain pregnant women when it is necessary and in appropriate accommodation with appropriate healthcare provisions.
An equality impact assessment has been completed for the Illegal Migration Bill, and is available here: Illegal Migration Bill publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament.
The Home Office are not aware that any women who have been pregnant whilst in immigration detention have died during their perinatal period.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women each year who were held in migrant detention while pregnant died in the perinatal period (a) before the implementation of the 72-hour detention limit for pregnant women in 2016 and (b) after the implementation of that limit.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
It is important that we do not inadvertently create perverse incentives for evil people smuggling gangs to target particularly venerable groups. Therefore, pregnant women who come to the UK illegally and fall within the duty to remove will not be exempt from detention and removal under this Bill.
The Home Office takes the welfare of those in detention seriously. We will only detain pregnant women when it is necessary and in appropriate accommodation with appropriate healthcare provisions.
An equality impact assessment has been completed for the Illegal Migration Bill, and is available here: Illegal Migration Bill publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament.
The Home Office are not aware that any women who have been pregnant whilst in immigration detention have died during their perinatal period.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the leaders of both communities in Cyprus on establishing a sustainable, bi-zonal and bi-communal federal political settlement in the period since June 2021.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We remain committed to supporting UN efforts to reach a just and lasting Cyprus settlement, within the UN parameters based on the model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality and we engage all parties on this. The UK has held high level meetings as recently as last month, including with President Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar, following the elections in February.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, from which organisations her Department has received representations on the use of cages for laying hens in the period since the publication of the policy paper entitled Action Plan for Animal Welfare on 12 May 2021.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have received representations from a wide range of organisations on the use of cages for laying hens since publication of the Action Plan, including the British Egg Industry Council, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, the RSPCA, Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, The Humane League UK, Compassion in World Farming, FOUR PAWS UK, Humane Society International UK, Animal Equality UK, UK Centre for Animal Law, Mahavir Trust, Animal Interfaith Alliance, Christian Vegetarian Association and Catholic Concern for Animals.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2023 to Question 147169, on Equality Hub: Finance, when she plans to publish the Outcome Delivery Plan for the next period.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Equality Hub is part of the Cabinet Office, and as such its priorities are published through their Outcome Delivery Plan. Work on the Cabinet Office Outcome Delivery Plan is underway and it will be published in due course.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what her timescale is for the publication of Government Equalities Office annual accounts for (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Equality Hub was formed by bringing together four units: the Disability Unit, Government Equalities Office, Race Disparity Unit, and the Social Mobility Commission secretariat. It is part of the Cabinet Office, and as such its annual accounts and priorities are published through their annual reporting. These are set out below:
The Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts:
The Cabinet Office Outcome Delivery Plan:
The work of the Equality Hub is also scrutinised by the Women and Equalities Select Committee. The Hub provides financial and staffing information when requested, most recently here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/34198/documents/188113/default/
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will publish the Government Equalities Office’s (a) budget and (b) programme of work for (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Equality Hub was formed by bringing together four units: the Disability Unit, Government Equalities Office, Race Disparity Unit, and the Social Mobility Commission secretariat. It is part of the Cabinet Office, and as such its annual accounts and priorities are published through their annual reporting. These are set out below:
The Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts:
The Cabinet Office Outcome Delivery Plan:
The work of the Equality Hub is also scrutinised by the Women and Equalities Select Committee. The Hub provides financial and staffing information when requested, most recently here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/34198/documents/188113/default/
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will publish the Equality Hub’s (a) budget and (b) programme of work for (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Equality Hub was formed by bringing together four units: the Disability Unit, Government Equalities Office, Race Disparity Unit, and the Social Mobility Commission secretariat. It is part of the Cabinet Office, and as such its annual accounts and priorities are published through their annual reporting. These are set out below:
The Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts:
The Cabinet Office Outcome Delivery Plan:
The work of the Equality Hub is also scrutinised by the Women and Equalities Select Committee. The Hub provides financial and staffing information when requested, most recently here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/34198/documents/188113/default/
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will publish the Race Disparity Unit's (a) budget and (b) programme of work for (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Equality Hub was formed by bringing together four units: the Disability Unit, Government Equalities Office, Race Disparity Unit, and the Social Mobility Commission secretariat. It is part of the Cabinet Office, and as such its annual accounts and priorities are published through their annual reporting. These are set out below:
The Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts:
The Cabinet Office Outcome Delivery Plan:
The work of the Equality Hub is also scrutinised by the Women and Equalities Select Committee. The Hub provides financial and staffing information when requested, most recently here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/34198/documents/188113/default/