Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the statements that “Research has found that group-based CSE offenders are most commonly White” and “there is no factor which makes any group of children uniquely vulnerable” in the Home Office report Group based Child Sexual Exploitation: Characteristics of Offending, published in December 2020, what new evidence they received following that report which led the Home Secretary to claim that perpetrators of child sexual exploitation are “almost all British-Pakistani” and that victims are “overwhelmingly white girls from disadvantaged or troubled backgrounds”.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We know that child sexual exploitation is not exclusive to any single culture, community, race or religion. The Home Secretary’s comments relate to the findings of local reviews into child sexual exploitation cases in Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale, which showed that perpetrators in those cases were overwhelmingly British-Pakistani men and the victims were white girls.
The 2020 Home Office report on group-based Child Sexual Exploitation set out the best evidence on ethnicity, age, offender networks, the context in which these crimes are committed and implications for national and local policy. As noted within the report, beyond those specific high-profile cases, the academic literature highlights significant limitations to what can be said about links between ethnicity and group-based child sexual exploitation.
It is essential for police and local authorities to have a good understanding of offender characteristics and the drivers of child sexual exploitation in their areas, so that they can uncover and tackle offending effectively. That is why the Prime Minister and Home Secretary have announced a number of steps to improve our data on, and our response to, group-based child sexual exploitation, including a new Taskforce, regional analysts in every police region, a new Complex and Organised Child Abuse Database hosted by the Taskforce and the roll out of the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme, which brings together force-level, regional, and national data and intelligence.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussion he has had with the Welsh Government on the (a) Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan and (b) related guidance on an audit of statues and monuments in Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
I have not had discussions with Welsh Government Ministers about their Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan.
The UK Government is fully committed to building a fairer Britain and taking the action needed to address negative disparities wherever they exist. That is why in March 2022 the UK Government published its response to the report by the independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. ‘Inclusive Britain’ sets out a ground-breaking action plan to tackle negative disparities, promote unity, and build a fairer Britain for all.
When I was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, I was also delighted to visit the Butetown community centre in Cardiff last year and saw first-hand the great work they are doing with the funding received from the Windrush Community Fund.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department provides (a) mandatory or (b) voluntary (i) lectures, (ii) reading lists and (iii) other training on Critical Race Theory for employees in his Department.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The information requested is not centrally held.
However, Ministers believe that the application of critical race theory threatens to undermine integration and community cohesion, by exaggerating differences within local communities. Instead, we should be seeking to build and strengthen a shared local and national identity across class, colour and creed.
The Government has a plan for an Inclusive Britain which will address the causes for racial disparity, which are complex and are not always caused by discrimination or prejudice. The central mission of our approach is to improve people’s lives, and to do that we need to address the root causes of the disparities that they face.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department provides (a) mandatory or (b) voluntary (i) lectures, (ii) reading lists and (iii) other training on Critical Race Theory for employees in his Department.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
I refer my Right Honorable friend to PQ12079. As my Right Honorable friend the Minister for Women and Equalities set out, the Government believes that "critical race theory" is a controversial political ideology. The Government believes that the application of critical race theory to public services threatens to undermine integration and community cohesion, by exaggerating differences within communities; instead, we should be seeking to build and strengthen a shared local and national identity across class, colour and creed.
Cabinet Office D&I learning does not include Critical Race Theory and speakers must go through due diligence and be signed off by the Head of Business Unit before any talks are scheduled. “Critical Race Theory” should not form part of our training and the Department is reviewing its intranet to ensure it is consistent with this approach.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2022 to Question 108144 on NHS: Staff, with which (a) trades unions, (b) medical royal colleges, (c) NHS system leaders, (d) voluntary organisations his Department consulted on the NHS workforce plan.
Answered by Will Quince
The following table shows the organisations that have been engaged. This list is not exhaustive because NHS England and Health Education England leaders and programme teams are also working with external stakeholders and their contribution is also informing the plan’s development.
Trade unions, royal colleges and representative bodies | Regulators | Members of Cancer Charities Group |
Unison | Professional Standards Authority | Alike |
Unite | General Medical Council | AMMF – the cholangiocarcinoma charity |
GMB | Care Quality Commission | Anthony Nolan |
Managers in Partnership | Healthcare and Professions Council | Blood Cancer UK |
British Medical Association | Nursing and Midwifery Council | Bloodwise |
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges | Think tanks | Bone Cancer Research Trust |
Royal College of Nursing | Nuffield Trust | Bowel Cancer UK |
Royal College of Midwives | The Health Foundation | Brain Trust – the brain cancer people |
Royal College of Physicians | The King’s Fund | The Brain Tumour Charity |
Royal College of Surgeons | Regulators | Brain Tumour Research |
Royal College of General Practitioners | Professional Standards Authority | British Liver Trust |
Royal College of Psychiatrists | General Medical Council | Breast Cancer Now |
Royal College of Anaesthetists | Care Quality Commission | Cancer 52 |
Royal College of Pathologists | Healthcare and Professions Council | Cancer Research UK |
Royal College of Ophthalmologists | Nursing and Midwifery Council | CATTS (Cancer Awareness for Teens & Twenties) |
Royal College of Occupational Therapists | Think tanks | Chai Cancer Care |
Royal Pharmaceutical Society | Nuffield Trust | Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group |
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists | The Health Foundation | CLIC Sargent |
Royal College of Ophthalmologists | The King’s Fund | CoppaFeel! |
Royal College of Emergency Medicine |
| DKMS |
Royal College of Podiatry |
| Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust |
The Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine |
| Eve Appeal |
The Society of Radiographers |
| Fight Bladder Cancer |
Institute of Osteopathy |
| GO Girls Support |
College of Operating Department Practitioners |
| Guts UK |
British Association of Art Therapists |
| Haven House |
British Association of Drama therapists |
| Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust |
British Association for Music Therapy |
| Kidney Cancer UK |
The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists |
| Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce |
British Dietetic Association |
| Leukaemia Care |
British and Irish Orthoptic Society |
| Leukaemia UK |
British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists |
| Lymphoma Action |
College of Paramedics |
| Macmillan Cancer Support |
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy |
| Maggie's – everyone’s home of cancer care |
College of General Dentistry |
| Marie Curie |
Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive healthcare |
| MDS UK Patient Support Group |
Queen’s Nursing Institute |
| Melanoma Focus |
Institute of Health Visiting |
| Melanoma UK |
British Society of Rheumatology |
| Mesothelioma |
The Richmond Group of Charities (including Macmillan Cancer Support, Diabetes UK, Asthma UK, Age UK) |
| Mylenoma UK |
Cancer Charities Group (*see separate list for members) |
| National Cancer Research Institute |
Council of Deans of Health |
| Neuroendocrine Cancer UK |
Medical Schools Council |
| OcuMel UK |
Universities UK |
| Ovacome |
University Alliance |
| Ovarian Cancer Action |
Office for Students |
| Pancreatic Cancer Action |
Skills for Care |
| Pancreatic Cancer UK |
Local Government Association |
| Paul's Cancer Support |
Association of Directors of Adult Social Services |
| Penny Brohn UK |
Social Partnership Forum |
| Prostate Cancer Research |
NHS providers |
| Prostate Cancer UK |
NHS Employers |
| Race Against Blood Cancer |
The Shelford Group |
| Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation |
ICS leaders |
| Salivary Gland Cancer UK |
NHS Confederation |
| Sarcoma UK |
Community Providers Network |
| Shine Cancer Support |
|
| Solving Kids Cancer |
|
| Target Ovarian Cancer |
|
| Teenage Cancer Trust |
|
| Trekstock |
|
| The Joshua Tree |
|
| WMUK – The charity for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia |
|
| World Cancer Research Fund |
Further discussions will take place before the plan is finalised. This will include engagement with patient representative groups. NHS England can discuss with any organisations interested in the development of the Plan.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will initiate an inquiry into the factors that inspired the members of the child sexual exploitation gangs in Rotherham and Telford; and in particular, the extent to which Islamic teachings were a determining factor.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
In 2020 the Government published a paper on the characteristics of group-based child sexual exploitation, setting out the best available evidence on offender characteristics. We know that child sexual exploitation is not exclusive to any single culture, community, race or religion. However, political or cultural sensitivities must not get in the way of uncovering and tackling these devastating crimes, and understanding local community and cultural factors is clearly an important part of this.
That is why the Government is working with policing to drive up the quality of police data on child sexual exploitation. As part of this, the Home Secretary has made it mandatory from March 2022 for police forces to record the ethnicity of those held on suspicion of group-based child sexual exploitation. We are also funding dedicated child sexual abuse and exploitation analysts in every policing region, and we will shortly publish an updated version of our Child Exploitation Disruption Toolkit, supporting police and local agencies in working together to better understand and disrupt offending in their areas.
In addition, the Home Secretary has recently commissioned the policing inspectorate to conduct an inspection into how the police respond to group-based child sexual exploitation. This will ensure policing is learning from past mistakes including those highlighted in the local inquiries in Rotherham and Telford, and that the very best practice is now being put in place by forces across the country.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will direct (1) the Home Office, and (2) other government departments, to stop using the terms "Asian men" and "men of Pakistani origin" to describe the members of the child sexual exploitation gangs in Rotherham and Telford.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
In 2020 the Government published a paper on the characteristics of group-based child sexual exploitation, setting out the best available evidence on offender characteristics. We know that child sexual exploitation is not exclusive to any single culture, community, race or religion. However, political or cultural sensitivities must not get in the way of uncovering and tackling these devastating crimes, and understanding local community and cultural factors is clearly an important part of this.
That is why the Government is working with policing to drive up the quality of police data on child sexual exploitation. As part of this, the Home Secretary has made it mandatory from March 2022 for police forces to record the ethnicity of those held on suspicion of group-based child sexual exploitation. We are also funding dedicated child sexual abuse and exploitation analysts in every policing region, and we will shortly publish an updated version of our Child Exploitation Disruption Toolkit, supporting police and local agencies in working together to better understand and disrupt offending in their areas.
In addition, the Home Secretary has recently commissioned the policing inspectorate to conduct an inspection into how the police respond to group-based child sexual exploitation. This will ensure policing is learning from past mistakes including those highlighted in the local inquiries in Rotherham and Telford, and that the very best practice is now being put in place by forces across the country.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on implementing its Race Action Programme.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are committed to actively tackling the impact of race disparities in the Criminal Justice System. As part of this commitment, in December 2020 HMPPS launched the Race Action Programme (RAP), which builds on the MoJ Race Action Plan. The RAP will increase the diversity of our workforce, address the risk of bias in our policies and tackle disparity in outcomes for prisoners, people on probation and children in our system. This will also help to reduce reoffending and enhance rehabilitative practices.
The programme has worked to establish a network of stakeholders, internally and externally, to ensure all interventions are sustainable. A range of initiatives have successfully been implemented across HMPPS which has included: a successful pilot of enhanced training for staff to improve the quality of pre-sentencing reports on ethnic minority individuals; the launch of a Race Allyship charter to build a community of staff who proactively support ethnic minority individuals; introducing a series of inclusive policy consultations sessions with expert third sector organisations; and piloting healing events to create safe spaces for staff to manage and overcome racial trauma.
HMPPS are also leading an External Advice and Scrutiny Panel (EASP) which includes a wide range of expert stakeholders to review, assure, and challenge our plans and implementation accordingly. The RAP Strategic Case has also been shared with external and internal stakeholders setting out the background for the programme, including an evidence summary and the deliverables and outcomes of the five priority projects. It also outlines our approach to evaluation and a summary of the headline benefits. There are no current plans for official publication of this document, however, all key stakeholders will continue to be updated on the progress of the programme throughout the Programme lifecycle.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish his Department’s plan for the HMPPS Race Action Programme.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are committed to actively tackling the impact of race disparities in the Criminal Justice System. As part of this commitment, in December 2020 HMPPS launched the Race Action Programme (RAP), which builds on the MoJ Race Action Plan. The RAP will increase the diversity of our workforce, address the risk of bias in our policies and tackle disparity in outcomes for prisoners, people on probation and children in our system. This will also help to reduce reoffending and enhance rehabilitative practices.
The programme has worked to establish a network of stakeholders, internally and externally, to ensure all interventions are sustainable. A range of initiatives have successfully been implemented across HMPPS which has included: a successful pilot of enhanced training for staff to improve the quality of pre-sentencing reports on ethnic minority individuals; the launch of a Race Allyship charter to build a community of staff who proactively support ethnic minority individuals; introducing a series of inclusive policy consultations sessions with expert third sector organisations; and piloting healing events to create safe spaces for staff to manage and overcome racial trauma.
HMPPS are also leading an External Advice and Scrutiny Panel (EASP) which includes a wide range of expert stakeholders to review, assure, and challenge our plans and implementation accordingly. The RAP Strategic Case has also been shared with external and internal stakeholders setting out the background for the programme, including an evidence summary and the deliverables and outcomes of the five priority projects. It also outlines our approach to evaluation and a summary of the headline benefits. There are no current plans for official publication of this document, however, all key stakeholders will continue to be updated on the progress of the programme throughout the Programme lifecycle.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve outcomes for prisoners from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We want people to have confidence in a justice system that is fair and open, where no person suffers discrimination of any kind. The over-representation of ethnic minorities in prisons, and in the justice system more widely, is a real concern and we continue to prioritise understanding and tackling any disparities they face.
Our commitment to tackling race and ethnic disparity is clear, as set out in the government’s Inclusive Britain strategy (published in response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities). It laid out a clear and broad set of steps we are taking in relation to improving outcomes in criminal justice, and built on the extensive work undertaken in response to the 2017 Lammy Review, a detailed overview of which can be found in the Tackling Racial Disparity updates published in 2018 and 2020.
Our work to tackle disparities focuses on not just the initial actions committed to in response to the Lammy Review, such as significant efforts to ensure a more representative HMPPS workforce, but also builds on these steps, going further where we can, By way of example, we launched a Stewardship Fund of over £1.5m to better support grassroot, ethnic minority-led and specialist voluntary or community sector organisations. Through the provision of informed services to ethnic minority offenders, they help turn their lives around, reduce reoffending, and improve outcomes for them and wider society.