Third Report: Unequal impact? Coronavirus and BAME people

Select Committee
Women and Equalities Committee HC 384 15 December 2020
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 18 items (18 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 18 of 18 classified)
Accepted 4
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 3
Deferred 2
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 4
Government response
3rd Special Report: Unequal Impact? Coronavirus and BAME People: Government Response to the Committee’s Third Report · published 5 Mar 2021
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Recommendations & Conclusions

4 results
10 Recommendation Rejected
Para 71
There is a link between the occupation of a person and their exposure, vulnerability and...
Recommendation
There is a link between the occupation of a person and their exposure, vulnerability and risk of contracting the virus. We fear that work on formally establishing this link has been significantly delayed. No clear assessments have been made on … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government rejects extending the EHRC's inquiry terms of reference to include economic impacts, stating it would undermine the current focus, and indicates that responsibility for equality impact assessments lies with individual departments while wider government research addresses economic impacts.
Government Equalities Office
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13 Recommendation Rejected
Para 103
There are known barriers to applying to Universal Credit.
Recommendation
There are known barriers to applying to Universal Credit. These have been thrown into sharp focus by the pandemic. Given that the country has now exited two national lockdowns and continues to be subject to covid-19 restrictions, it is critical … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government rejects developing a separate Universal Credit mobile application, stating the existing online service works effectively on smartphones and a new app would impact delivery. They also note telephone support is available for those unable to use online services.
Government Equalities Office
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14 Recommendation Rejected
Para 104
The Government does not know enough about how Universal Credit is operating for different groups.
Recommendation
The Government does not know enough about how Universal Credit is operating for different groups. The Government does not know, for example, how many BAME claimants there are and if they are negatively affected by the Universal Credit application system. … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government rejects making the equality survey mandatory for Universal Credit applicants, stating that the Department for Work and Pensions lacks the legal power and that primary legislation would be required.
Government Equalities Office
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17 Recommendation Rejected
Poor housing conditions have adverse impacts on health; living in poor quality housing is an...
Recommendation
Poor housing conditions have adverse impacts on health; living in poor quality housing is an aggravating factor in experiencing coronavirus severely. Pre-existing housing inequalities may have exacerbated the impact of coronavirus on BAME people. We welcome the Social Housing White … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government rejects publishing a new strategy by Summer 2021, stating it is already reviewing the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) as part of a major commitment to improve rented home standards, with initial findings expected in Autumn 2021/2022.
Government Equalities Office
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