Recommendations & Conclusions
7 items
56
Recommendation
First Report - Levelling Up and equalit…
Rejected
We recommend the Government bring forward a revised Standing Order, to make the Women and Equalities Committee a cross-cutting Select Committee of the House of Commons, appointed to examine cross-government policy on pan-equalities issues, and socio-economic inequality, geographic disparities and social mobility.
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We recommend the Government bring forward a revised Standing Order, to make the Women and Equalities Committee a cross-cutting Select Committee of the House of Commons, appointed to examine cross-government policy on pan-equalities issues, and socio-economic inequality, geographic disparities and social mobility.
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation, stating that the Women and Equalities Committee’s current Standing Order already provides significant flexibility for its work.
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Government Equalities Office
59
Recommendation
First Report - Levelling Up and equalit…
Rejected
We welcome the Government’s intention to focus more on socio-economic and geographic inequality and look forward to the publication of its Levelling Up White Paper. While enactment of the socio-economic duty, section 1 of the Equality Act, is unlikely to be a panacea, we recommend the Government commission a pilot …
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We welcome the Government’s intention to focus more on socio-economic and geographic inequality and look forward to the publication of its Levelling Up White Paper. While enactment of the socio-economic duty, section 1 of the Equality Act, is unlikely to be a panacea, we recommend the Government commission a pilot to establish the costs and benefits of different approaches to voluntary adoption of the duty in England.
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Government response AI summary
The government rejected the recommendation for a pilot on the voluntary adoption of the socio-economic duty, stating it is not necessary at this time and that they first want to evaluate existing voluntary adoptions in devolved public bodies and some English local authorities.
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Government Equalities Office
60
Recommendation
First Report - Levelling Up and equalit…
Rejected
Given some of the Minister for Women and Equalities’ comments in her “new fight for fairness” speech about not focusing on groups, we are concerned about a risk of going backwards on important, long-established equality issues for groups of people protected by the Equality Act. The Equality Data Programme should …
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Given some of the Minister for Women and Equalities’ comments in her “new fight for fairness” speech about not focusing on groups, we are concerned about a risk of going backwards on important, long-established equality issues for groups of people protected by the Equality Act. The Equality Data Programme should be seized as an opportunity for the Government to set out, together with its proposed Levelling Up policies, a cross-departmental pan-equalities strategy based on data on the full range of factors that drive disadvantage, including protected characteristics under the Equality Act and the intersections between them and other factors. We recommend the Equality Hub publish a cross-departmental pan-equalities strategy by the end of the first quarter of 2022, covering the period to at least the end of this Parliament. To raise its profile and inform the longer-term development of its strategy, we recommend the Equality Hub publish a schedule of public and stakeholder events covering a range of equalities issues. We further recommend it publish annual Action Plans, setting out specific and measurable steps it will take in each financial year to meet its strategic equality objectives. Ministerial roles and equalities machinery in government
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to publish a cross-departmental pan-equalities strategy and annual Action Plans, stating the Equality Hub's objectives are already integrated into the Cabinet Office's Outcome Delivery Plan and existing strategies.
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Government Equalities Office
61
Recommendation
First Report - Levelling Up and equalit…
Rejected
In 2018, our predecessor Committee found that allocation of the Minister for Women and Equalities role as an additional responsibility of a Cabinet Minister was sub-optimal. The role was susceptible to Cabinet reshuffles and its allocation seemed like an afterthought. Any benefits from policy synergies with a Secretary of State’s …
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In 2018, our predecessor Committee found that allocation of the Minister for Women and Equalities role as an additional responsibility of a Cabinet Minister was sub-optimal. The role was susceptible to Cabinet reshuffles and its allocation seemed like an afterthought. Any benefits from policy synergies with a Secretary of State’s departmental policy priorities were incidental rather than being part of any planned strategy. These problems persist, as clearly demonstrated by allocation of the role in 2019 to the then Secretary of State for International Trade (The Rt Hon Liz Truss MP, now Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs), a particularly demanding and time-consuming brief in the context of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, and one which lacks clear crossover with the domestic equalities agenda. We note the Government’s allocation of the Levelling Up brief to The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State in the newly named Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, ahead of publication of its Levelling Up White Paper. It is not clear what place, if any, he will have in the Government’s equalities machinery. We recommend the Government create a new full-time Cabinet level role of Secretary of State for Equalities and Levelling Up, to drive implementation of the expected Levelling Up White Paper and a new cross-departmental pan-equalities strategy. These should be considered complementary, high priority agendas, which should be driven from the heart of government. Consideration should also be given to bringing the more junior 24 Levelling Up and equality: a new framework for change roles of Minister for Women, Minister for Equalities and Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work into the Cabinet Office on a full-time basis.
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to create a full-time Cabinet-level Secretary of State for Equalities and Levelling Up, stating that ministerial portfolios are the Prime Minister's prerogative.
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Government Equalities Office
62
Recommendation
First Report - Levelling Up and equalit…
Rejected
We note both the current absence of a cross-departmental equalities strategy and strong coordinating machinery to drive it forward. We therefore recommend the Government establish a dedicated Cabinet Committee for Equalities and Levelling Up, to add further drive to both agendas across government. Learning lessons from the Government’s handling of …
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We note both the current absence of a cross-departmental equalities strategy and strong coordinating machinery to drive it forward. We therefore recommend the Government establish a dedicated Cabinet Committee for Equalities and Levelling Up, to add further drive to both agendas across government. Learning lessons from the Government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation, stating that the portfolios of Ministers and Cabinet Committees are the prerogative of the Prime Minister.
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Government Equalities Office
64
Recommendation
First Report - Levelling Up and equalit…
Rejected
International conventions, including the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), and the UN Convention on the Rights of the …
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International conventions, including the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) impose long-established legal obligations on achieving equality domestically. The new equalities strategy and annual Action Plans should set out actions to be taken to meet the UK’s international equality commitments. Further, the Government should, as recommended by the UN and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, establish a National Mechanism for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up, to ensure the most effective possible engagement with international equality and human rights conventions and treaties. Consideration should also be given Levelling Up and equality: a new framework for change 25 to restructuring current processes, which are fragmented across several departments, and bringing oversight into a single international compliance team in the Equality Hub. A refreshed approach to stakeholder engagement and communications on sensitive issues
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation, asserting that the Equality Hub already works effectively and collaboratively with other departments to meet international equality commitments and provide timely reporting, arguing that the current multi-departmental approach allows for specialized policy expertise.
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Government Equalities Office
66
Recommendation
First Report - Levelling Up and equalit…
Rejected
The Equality Hub should conduct a review of the Government’s communications on, and management of, sensitive and balanced rights issues, drawing in particular on lessons learned from the Gender Recognition Act reform process since 2018 and the Government’s approach to communicating the findings of the Commission on Race and Ethnic …
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The Equality Hub should conduct a review of the Government’s communications on, and management of, sensitive and balanced rights issues, drawing in particular on lessons learned from the Gender Recognition Act reform process since 2018 and the Government’s approach to communicating the findings of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. 26 Levelling Up and equality: a new framework for change
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation for the Equality Hub to conduct a review of communications on sensitive rights issues, stating the Hub already engages regularly with stakeholders and refers to the EHRC's existing considerations.
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Government Equalities Office