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COVID-M2.6

Enact Socio-economic Duty

COVID-19 Inquiry · Module 2: Core Decision-Making · Issued 20 November 2025 · Addressed to: Cabinet Office

Government responseUK Government: Accepted (Mar 2026)Northern Ireland Executive: Under consideration (Mar 2026)

DeliveryUK Government says in progress (Sep 2026)Cabinet Office says in progress (Apr 2026)

Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation

The UK government should bring into force in England section 1 of the Equality Act 2010, implementing the socio-economic duty. The Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive should consider an equivalent provision within section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

COVID-19 Inquiry, Module 2: Core Decision-Making · 20 Nov 2025 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

AI-generated evidence summary

The Inquiry recommended enacting the socio-economic duty in England and Northern Ireland. In September 2026, Satvir Kaur, answering for Women and Equalities, stated that work continues towards commencing the duty, which includes drafting statutory guidance, and that a list of subject public authorities will be published upon commencement (Satvir Kaur, Sep 2026). In March 2026, the Northern Ireland Executive stated that exploring an equivalent provision remained under consideration while officials engaged with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and other stakeholders (Northern Ireland Executive response, Mar 2026).

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 12 Oct 2026.

Government response

●UK Government · Accepted · 25 Mar 2026

Words of: UK Government (Cabinet Office), UK Government Response to the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 2 Report (CP 1534), 25 March 2026

This government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. The government therefore agrees with the Inquiry’s recommendation, that commencement of the socio-economic duty could drive the routine consideration of the impact decisions might have on those most at risk in an emergency. The socio-economic duty will require specified public bodies to actively consider how their strategic decisions might help to reduce the inequalities of outcome associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We are currently working toward commencement of the duty, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. As part of this process, we are engaging with listed public bodies to understand their concerns and any potential barriers, as well as analysing responses to our Call for Evidence on Equality Law.

Extract from: UK Government Response to the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 2 Report

●Northern Ireland Executive · Under consideration · 18 Mar 2026

Words of: Northern Ireland Executive, Executive Response to the Covid-19 Module 2 Report March 2026, 18 March 2026

Remains under consideration

The Executive fully recognises the importance of exploring the introduction of an equivalent socioeconomic provision here, noting that Section 28E of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 places a statutory duty on the Executive Committee to adopt a strategy setting out how it proposes to tackle poverty, social exclusion and patterns of deprivation based on objective need.

In relation to Recommendation 6 and the commencement of Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 in England, the Executive are committed to carefully and comprehensively considering all relevant factors to determine a feasible and effective way forward.

Officials will continue to engage with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland on this matter and with counterparts in other jurisdictions, alongside other key stakeholders. This ongoing work will help us understand how similar duties have been developed, implemented, and applied in practice, and will ensure that any future approach is informed by lessons learned and tailored appropriately to our local context.

Extract from: Executive Response to the Covid-19 Module 2 Report March 2026

Site note: The Northern Ireland Executive's response to the Module 2 report, published on 18 March 2026. It prints its position ("Accepted", "Remains under consideration") on a line above each response, and the row carries that line with the response. Read from the Internet Archive's capture, as the Executive Office does not allow automated fetching. The passage covers Northern Ireland only.

Delivery

●UK Government says in progress · 23 Sep 2026

A full list of public bodies subject to the SED will be published upon commencement. The Socio-Economic Duty (SED) will embed consideration of socio-economic disadvantage into public sector decision-making. It will require specified public authorities to have due regard to how their strategic decisions can reduce inequalities of outcomes associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We are currently working towards commencement, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. As part of this process, we are working with listed public bodies to ensure the guidance supports them effectively.

From: Written question 21050: Civil Servants: Recruitment, Satvir Kaur, Minister answering for Women and Equalities

Site note: This is the Minister's written answer, for Women and Equalities, to a question asking whether the socio-economic duty will apply to policies and decisions on Civil Service recruitment. The question is the member's words, so it is not in the row.

●Cabinet Office says in progress · 20 Apr 2026

This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. Therefore, as set out in our response to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 2 report, we agree with the recommendation that commencement of the socio-economic duty could drive the routine consideration of the impact decisions might have on those most at risk in an emergency.

The Government is giving careful consideration to responses to the equality law call for evidence as we consider next steps. We will publish a summary of responses and a Government response in due course on: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/equality-law-call-for-evidence.

The socio-economic duty will require specified public bodies to actively consider how their strategic decisions might help to reduce the inequalities of outcome associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We are now taking forward work to make sure that commencement of the duty in England is as effective as possible.

From: Written question 126583: Covid-19 Inquiry (socio-economic duty)

Site note: This is the Minister's written answer, given for the Cabinet Office, to a question asking, with reference to the Government's Module 2 response, for the timetable for commencing the socio-economic duty. The question is the member's words, so it is not in the row. The same answer, word for word, was given on the same day to question 126613 for Women and Equalities; the site records it once.

Earlier statements on delivery (0)

●UK Government · 16 Sep 2026

This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. To support this, we will commence the socio-economic duty. We are currently working towards commencement, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. We will provide an update in due course.

From: Written question 28378: Equality: Social Class, Satvir Kaur, Minister answering for Women and Equalities

Site note: This is the Minister's written answer, for Women and Equalities, to a question asking, further to written statement HCWS322 of 9 September 2026, for the timetable for commencing the socio-economic duty. The question is the member's words, so it is not in the row.

●UK Government · 9 Sep 2026

Crucially, the unit will lead the enactment of the Socio-Economic Duty, a new power in the Equality Act that will legally require public bodies to consider how to improve the lives of lower-income families as part of decisions around issues like transport, services and budgets.

From: Driving Opportunity in Every Postcode (written statement HCWS322), Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities

Site note: The statement announces a new Class Unit in the Office for Equality and Opportunity and the closure of the Social Mobility Commission. It does not mention the Inquiry; the sentence is recorded because it says which unit will lead the enactment of the socio-economic duty. It gives no date.

●UK Government · 17 Jul 2026

This Government is committed to commencing the socio-economic duty. We are currently working towards commencement, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. As part of this process and to maintain pace, we are engaging directly with listed public bodies to ensure the guidance supports them effectively.

From: Written question 16925: Equality, Seema Malhotra, Minister answering for Women and Equalities

Site note: This is the Minister's written answer, for Women and Equalities, to a question asking whether there will be a public consultation on the statutory guidance for the socio-economic duty. The question is the member's words, so it is not in the row.

●UK Government · 24 Jun 2026

We are committed to commencing it and we will update both the Committee and Parliament when we have more precise detail as to the timeline around it. We are engaging with future duty-bearers to best understand how to support them to implement that socioeconomic duty in a way that is effective and efficient.

From: Oral evidence: Work of the Minister for Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities

Site note: This is the Minister's answer to a committee member who asked when the Government hopes to commence the socio-economic duty, and what it hopes to achieve by it and by when. The question is the member's words, so it is not in the row. The answer gives no date.

●UK Government · 18 Jun 2026

My noble friend Lord Babudu asked about the commencement of the socioeconomic duty. This Government are committed to ensuring that everyone can thrive, no matter their background, and we will commence the socioeconomic duty on public bodies soon.

From: Child Poverty (motion to take note), House of Lords, Baroness Sherlock, Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

Site note: The Minister is replying to a House of Lords debate on child poverty. Her words do not mention the Inquiry; they are recorded because they give the Government's position on when the socio-economic duty will be commenced. "Soon" is her word; no date is given.

●UK Government · 29 Apr 2026

This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. To support this, we will commence the socio-economic duty on public bodies in Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010. We are currently working toward commencement of the duty, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. As part of this process, we are working with listed public bodies to ensure the guidance supports them effectively.

From: Written question HL16404: Public Sector: Equality, Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister answering for Women and Equalities

Site note: This is the Minister's written answer, for Women and Equalities, to a question in the House of Lords asking when the commencement order for the socio-economic duty will be laid and what milestones have been set. The question is the member's words, so it is not in the row. The answer gives no date and no milestones.

●UK Government · 25 Mar 2026

As recommended by the Module 2 report, we are also working towards commencing the socio-economic duty under Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 in England.

From: UK Government Response to Covid-19 Inquiry Module 2 Report, Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

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