Defra is grateful for the support of supermarkets to enable vulnerable individuals to access prioritised home delivery slots, as we continue to hold regular conversations with each of the seven supermarkets participating in the offer of priority access to online deliveries: Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. The department uses these meetings as an opportunity to convey any concerns raised by charities or Local Authorities around topics such as delivery charges. Although Defra cannot legally dictate the delivery costs charged by supermarkets, our regular conversations ensure that supermarkets understand the impact that delivery charges can have in preventing a CEV person from being able to access food. Alongside encouraging supermarkets to seriously consider the impact delivery charges can have on CEV people, Defra also monitors delivery charges and circulates this information to Local Authorities in the form of a “supermarket toolkit” to allow them to advise their residents accordingly. This document contains information on where a retailer’s service can be accessed by phone instead of through the internet, which Local Authorities may use to support digitally excluded residents. Lastly, guidance provided to the CEV (through gov.uk webpages and shielding letters) includes a phone number for the NHS volunteer responders service. CEV individuals can call this number if they are not able to access food through the priority access to supermarket delivery slots scheme – for instance if they are digitally excluded. Since November 2020, Government has provided councils with funding at a rate of £14.60 per CEV individual per four weeks whilst their local area has been subject to shielding guidance, to enable councils to support those CEV individuals in need. To date, MHCLG has provided over £113 million to Local Authorities through this funding formula, with a further £60 million to be provided by the end of May. The funding was not ringfenced to provide maximum flexibility, but councils were expected to use it to deliver the activities and outcomes outlined in the Shielding Framework. Second Special Report of Session 2021–22 5 There are numerous examples of Local Authorities using their funding to support digitally excluded residents. In Hampshire, classes are being run by the Local Authority at local libraries, aimed at people who have internet connections and equipment but lack confidence in using them. Derby City Council has loaned tablets to vulnerable people and installed Wi-Fi in the homes of some CEV individuals. Essex County Council has created a network of digital-buddy volunteers. These volunteers called CEV residents who required assistance and wherever possible support was provided at home. A campaign was also put in place to encourage residents to help older CEV family members to improve their digital literacy. Conclusion and Recommendation 6: It is imperative that food retailers ensure that their stores are accessible to disabled people. We recognise the challenges faced in adapting stores to social distancing in the early months of the pandemic, but there is no excuse for ongoing barriers. All food retailers must ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to ensure that disabled people are not disproportionally hampered by additional in-store Covid-19 measures. Where reasonable adjustments are not made the law should be properly enforced. (Paragraph 24) Response: The Government is clear that all service providers - including shops and supermarkets selling food - must at all times comply with the law and make reasonable adjustments for their disabled customers. In this context the duty is anticipatory, meaning that retailers should not wait to be asked, but should be planning for the fact that some of their customers will have mobility or breathing problems, for example, and have help and support ready for when this is needed. We welcome the opportunity to re-state this publicly. Defra has taken, and will continue to take, an active stance in promoting the EHRC’s guidance during the pandemic. For example, Defra worked closely with the EHRC and British Retail Consortium (BRC) about concerns raised by the EHRC. These were around retailers failing to uphold their duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people under the exceptional circumstances caused by Covid-19, both in store and online. In light of the concerns raised, work was undertaken with the EHRC and BRC to look at what could be done in the context of social distancing and acute pressure on online delivery capacity. Defra continues to be a part of ongoing discussions with the retail sector through forums such as the fortnightly Retailer Forum. In September the EHRC published guidance for retailers. Defra facilitated a discussion with retailers ahead of guidance being published to assist retailers to meet their duties under the Equality Act 2010 during the Covid-19 pandemic.