• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Wednesday Volume 689 10 February 2021 No. 175 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 10 February 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 309 10 FEBRUARY 2021 310 Elizabeth Truss: My hon. Friend is right that unconscious House of Commons bias training has been shown not to work and in fact can be counterproductive. The best way to improve equality is to make the system fairer by increasing Wednesday 10 February 2021 choice and openness. For example, making systems around pay and promotion more transparent and open The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock has been shown by the evidence to improve equality for everybody. PRAYERS Caroline Nokes (Romsey and Southampton North) (Con) [V]: I was very pleased to hear my right hon. Friend’s commitment to robust evidence. Does she agree [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] that there is hard data that, when there is enforcement Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, of reporting, more companies publish their gender pay 4 June and 30 December 2020). gap? With no enforcement in place, so far this year, just [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] one third of last year’s total has reported. Is that robust enough evidence for her that without enforcement there Speaker’s Statement is a danger that equal pay will slide backwards? Mr Speaker: I remind colleagues that a deferred ElizabethTruss:Iampleasedtosaythatwesawthegender Division will take place today in the Members’ Library pay gap fall to a record low last year, but we need to between 11.30 am and 2 pm. If a Member has a proxy continue making progress on that issue, including making vote in operation, they must not vote in person in the sure that we are tackling the cause of the gender pay gap, deferred Division. Their nominated proxy should vote and 35% of the cause is the fact that women and men on their behalf. I remind colleagues of the importance are in different occupations. So we need to make it easier of social distancing during deferred Divisions. for women to get into high-paid jobs in areas such as technology, science, and engineering. Oral Answers to Questions Covid-19: Support for Women RichardThomson(Gordon)(SNP):Whatrecentassessment she has made of the adequacy of Government support WOMEN AND EQUALITIES for women during the covid-19 outbreak. [912135] The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked— The Minister for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch): We have rolled out unprecedented levels of economic support to Policy Evidence those who need it most, regardless of gender. That includes sectors that employ large numbers of women, such as Aaron Bell (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Con): What steps retail and hospitality. The Government are continually she is taking to ensure that her policies are informed by reviewingtheeffectivenessof theirsupportandDepartments robust evidence. [912134] carefully consider the impact of their decisions on those sharing protected characteristics. That is in line with The Minister for Women and Equalities (Elizabeth Truss): both their legal obligations, and the Government’s strong We must have an equality agenda that is driven by the commitment to promoting fairness. Of course, men are evidence. That is why we have launched an equality data impactedtoo.Indeed,latestfiguresshowahigherredundancy programme, looking at the life paths of individuals rate for men. That is why we are committed to ensuring across the country and ensuring that we have hard data a fair recovery for all. about the barriers that people face, whether in education, employment or accessing capital for business. Richard Thomson [V]: A recent High Court ruling Aaron Bell [V]: I thank the Minister for her answer. found the universal credit childcare payment system to Like her, I welcome the importance of data in all this. I be unlawful and discriminatory against women, after a also welcome the fact that last year the Government single mother was forced to pay childcare costs upfront Equalities Office commissioned the Behavioural Insights and then claim back, forcing her into debt and causing Team to produce a summary of the evidence on psychological harm. Does the Minister agree that the unconscious bias training. As she will know, the report universal credit childcare offer is inadequate for parents highlighted that there was no evidence that this training who rely on it, 80% of whom are women? Will she urge changed behaviour in the long term, nor did it improve the Department of Work and Pensions to improve it? workplace equality. It also stated that there is emerging evidence of unintended negative consequences. So I am Kemi Badenoch: I will speak to my colleagues in the glad that the Government are phasing it out in the civil DWP, but I know that the Government have been service and that this House is doing the same, but can offering unprecedented levels of support to provide for she assure me and the House that anysuggested replacement all those people who require support in childcare. That for this training must be supported by the evidence of includes the recent £20 uplift, which the Chancellor agreed what works? to last year. 311 Oral Answers 10 FEBRUARY 2021 Oral Answers 312 Charlotte Nichols (Warrington North) (Lab) [V]: A Departments from an equalities standpoint, what can recent TUC survey found that 71% of mothers asking she do to ensure that children in Wales are not forgotten to be furloughed as they could not juggle work with by the UK Government? childcare have been refused by their employers. What steps will the Minister take to ensure that affordable Kemi Badenoch: My hon. Friend is correct that education childcare is available for all parents who need it, so that is a devolved matter in Wales. However, it is important they are not forced out of work by this pandemic? that we work closely together to ensure that every child receives the best education, wherever they live in the Kemi Badenoch: I thank the hon. Lady for her question. UK, and to give them the best start in life. For example, The Government have provided significant support for our UK-wide safeguarding policy is essential to allow those people who have been furloughed, and there is a children to concentrate on their learning without fear of childcare provision within universal credit. We recognise negative influence. Our equality data programme will that parents across the country are having difficulties seek to use data from across the UK to help inform during the pandemic, and we have put several measures future policy, making equality of opportunity a reality in place to ensure they have the support required. for all. Kirsten Oswald (East Renfrewshire) (SNP) [V]: The Laura Trott [V]: I thank the Minister for her reply and pandemic has made flexible working a necessity for the initiatives contained within it. We know school many women, who have a disproportionate share of closures have had a very unequal impact on children. caring responsibilities, but under the Flexible Working Does she agree that the best way to address that is to Regulations 2014 an employee is eligible to request safely reopen schools as quickly as possible? flexible working arrangements only after 26 consecutive weeks of work for their employer. What consideration Kemi Badenoch: We are committed to getting all has the Minister given to the recommendation in the pupils and students back into schools and colleges as new Women and Equalities Committee report to remove soon as the public health picture allows. In doing so, the that 26-week threshold? Government will be guided by the scientific and medical experts. When Parliament returns from recess in the week commencing 22 February, we intend to publish our plan Kemi Badenoch: We have a manifesto commitment to for taking the country out of lockdown, including plans further encourage flexible working, and we are going to for reopening education. We hope we will be able to be consulting on making it the default unless employers commence the full reopening of schools from Monday have good reasons not to. We know that the Women and 8 March. Wehave committed to providing schools, parents Equalities Committee has released a report, and we are and young people with a minimum of two weeks’ notice carefully considering it and will provide our conclusions for that return to on-site provision. in due course. We appreciate the work of the Committee on these important issues and the contributions of those Henry Smith [V]: What support for children with who gave evidence. learning disabilities are the Government pursuing to ensure equality of opportunity? Children: Equality of Opportunity Kemi Badenoch: The pandemic has been extremely Rob Roberts (Delyn) (Con): What steps she is taking challenging for many families with children and young to ensure that children throughout the UK have equality people with special educational needs. Supporting them of opportunity. [912137] is a priority for this Government, and their wellbeing remains central to our response. My hon. Friend will be glad to know that we are providing £40.8 million this Laura Trott (Sevenoaks) (Con): What steps she is year for the Family Fund to help more than 80,000 taking to ensure that children throughout the UK have low-income families who have children with disabilities equality of opportunity. [912141] or serious illnesses. That includes £13.5 million specifically in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which may Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con): What steps she is include assistive technology to aid remote learning. taking to ensure that children throughout the UK have equality of opportunity.

Load more

  85

Copy Link