Select Committee · Women and Equalities Committee

Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services

Status: Closed Opened: 9 Jun 2020 Closed: 4 Nov 2021 23 recommendations 12 conclusions 2 reports

Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services Watch a British Sign Language explainer video for the Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services: full Report Watch a British Sign Language explainer video for the Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services: interim Report on temporary provisions in the Coronavirus Act. Watch a … Show more

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Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and … HC 1050 22 Dec 2020 22 Responded
1st Report - Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and ac… HC 386 25 Sep 2020 13 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
5 Conclusion 1st Report - Unequal impact? Coronaviru… Deferred

There is broad agreement that the Coronavirus Act’s Care Act easement provisions should be curtailed...

There is broad agreement that the Coronavirus Act’s Care Act easement provisions should be curtailed as soon as possible. They represent a substantial raising of the threshold at which disabled people’s care and support needs must be met. This regression of disabled people’s rights must not be allowed to become … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government stated that the Care Act easement provisions will be kept under regular review, with a decision on suspension to be made by the Secretary of State based on expert advice. They also noted the existing six-monthly parliamentary review process for Coronavirus Act provisions.
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Government Equalities Office
11 Conclusion Fourth report: Unequal impact? Coronavi… Deferred

We were disappointed with the 2020 Spending Review’s financial settlement of £300 million in additional...

We were disappointed with the 2020 Spending Review’s financial settlement of £300 million in additional grant funding for local authorities’ social care in 2021/22. We believe it falls considerably short of what is required. We agree with the Health and Social Care Committee that an increase in funding for social … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it will consider the committee's findings regarding the inadequacy of social care funding when developing the UK National Strategy for Disabled People.
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Government Equalities Office
21 Recommendation Fourth report: Unequal impact? Coronavi… Deferred

We agree with organisations representing Deaf British Sign Language users that we should set a...

We agree with organisations representing Deaf British Sign Language users that we should set a good example in the accessibility of our public oral evidence sessions. It is regrettable that we did not provide live BSL interpretation and subtitles via www.parliamentlive.tv, particularly as we were scrutinising the accessibility of the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation for more British Sign Language provision in Parliament but defers responsibility to the House of Commons and its committees to develop and implement a plan.
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Government Equalities Office
22 Recommendation Fourth report: Unequal impact? Coronavi… Deferred

In the light of starkly disproportionate and tragic data on death rates from coronavirus of...

In the light of starkly disproportionate and tragic data on death rates from coronavirus of disabled people, including shocking figures for deaths of people, including young people, with learning disabilities, there must be a discrete independent inquiry into the causes. It must be a wide-ranging inquiry, including consideration of the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government defers a decision on establishing an independent inquiry into disproportionate coronavirus death rates among disabled people, stating it will consider the matter after the pandemic is under control.
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Government Equalities Office

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
2 Sep 2020 Antonia Williams · HM Treasury, Helen Whately MP · Department of Health and Social Care, Justin Tomlinson · Department for Work and Pensions, Martin Woolhead · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Sarah Baker · Disability Unit, Vicky Ford · Department of Education, Victoria Prentis · Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs View ↗
22 Jul 2020 Ali Fidy · Independent Provider of Special Education Advice, Celia Ingham-Clark MBE · NHS England, Charlotte Ramsden · Association of Directors of Children’s Services, Kate Terroni · Care Quality Commission, Professor Gillian Leng CBE · NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), Simon Williams · Local Government Association View ↗
24 Jun 2020 Edel Harris · Mencap, Fazilet Hadi · Disability Rights UK, Ms Ayla Ozmen · Action on Hearing Loss, Sarah Hughes · Centre for Mental Health View ↗

Who gave evidence

17 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Ali Fidy · Chief Executive Independent Provider of Special Education Advice 1
Antonia Williams · Director of Public Services HM Treasury 1
Celia Ingham-Clark MBE · Medical Director for Clinical Effectiveness NHS England 1
Charlotte Ramsden · Vice President Association of Directors of Children’s Services 1
Edel Harris · Chief Executive Mencap 1
Fazilet Hadi · Policy Manager Disability Rights UK 1
Helen Whately MP · Minister of State Department of Health and Social Care 1
Justin Tomlinson · Minister of State (Minister for Disabled People, … Department for Work and Pensions 1
Kate Terroni · Chief Inspector Adult Social Care, Integrated Car… Care Quality Commission 1
Martin Woolhead · Deputy Director for Vulnerabilities Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Ms Ayla Ozmen · Head of Research and Policy Action on Hearing Loss 1
Professor Gillian Leng CBE · Chief Executive NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) 1
Sarah Baker · Deputy Director Disability Unit 1
Sarah Hughes · Chief Executive Centre for Mental Health 1
Simon Williams · Director of Social Care Improvement Local Government Association 1
Vicky Ford · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Childr… Department of Education 1
Victoria Prentis · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs 1

Correspondence

7 letters
DateDirectionTitle
17 May 2021 Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and…
13 Apr 2021 Correspondence from the Minister for Care to the Chair relating to the Temporar…
13 Apr 2021 Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Chair for…
18 Mar 2021 Correspondence to the Minister for Care relating to the Temporary Coronavirus A…
18 Mar 2021 Correspondence to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Famil…
23 Feb 2021 Correspondence to the Chair from the Equality and Human Rights Commission relat…
5 Nov 2020 Correspondence from the Minister for Disabled People to the Chair regarding the…