2nd Report - Employment opportunities for Muslims in the UK
- HC No.
- HC 89
- Published
- 11 Aug 2016
- Items
- 0
- Government response
- Government response published 20 December 2016. Read the government's response ↗
Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Employment opportunities for Muslims in the UK inquiry
Closed
Opened 25 Jan 2016
Closed 21 Dec 2016
Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The report highlights the economic disadvantages faced by Muslims, who experience the highest levels of unemployment out of all religious and ethnic groups, at 12.8% compared to 5.4% for the general population. The report concludes that the Government's commitment to tackling disadvantage for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) people must be coupled with a coherent cross-Government strategy focused on specific groups, including Muslims, and recommends that a plan should be developed by the end of this year.
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 25 January 2016.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently 2nd Report - Employment opportunities for Muslims in the UK on 11 August 2016.
The government's response
Published 20 December 2016.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's work and agrees with a number of recommendations, but says it "does not accept at this stage" that a plan specifically focused on Muslims is needed.
- On data, it notes that employment data is published by ethnic group but not religion. It is introducing a Transparency Duty, "subject to the passage of the Higher Education and Research Bill", requiring universities to publish admissions data by ethnicity, gender and socio-economic background.
- It agrees that English language proficiency is a core part of reducing inequality and is developing a new English language offer "worth £20 million over this Parliament", which it says will not be a "Muslim only" scheme.
- On Jobcentre Plus, it agrees that staff "must be equipped to understand the needs of its range of customers", and says it is carrying out fieldwork to share good practice.
- On name-blind recruitment, it wants to "encourage best practice, rather than mandate a specific process", and says it is "considering" an exercise to gather employer insight on recruitment practices.
Reports
All reportsEvidence
- 4 oral evidence sessionsLatest 11 May 2016
Recent activity
- Employment opportunities for Muslims in the UK: Government response to the Committee’s Second Report of Session 2015-1620 December 2016, Report published
- 2nd Report - Employment opportunities for Muslims in the UK11 August 2016, Report published
- Oral evidence session11 May 2016, Oral evidence
Reports
Oral evidence sessions
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.