PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Schools: Coronavirus (17 June 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2020 to Question 52591, and with reference to the recommendation to accelerate the development of culturally competent occupational risk assessment tools on page 10 of the publication of the Public Health England report entitled, Beyond the data: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups, whether his Department plans to implement that recommendation.

Asked by:
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour)

The Government is committed to reducing the disparity in health outcomes - whether that is from COVID-19 or from other causes – that some BAME communities experience in this country.

The recommendations in the Public Health England report cover a wide range of areas, many of which are already touched on by the terms of reference for the work that was announced by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Equalities on 4 June 2020. Those terms of reference can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-steps-for-work-on-covid-19-disparities-announced.

The Department continues to encourage schools to be especially sensitive to the needs and worries of Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils, parents and carers, and staff, considering if any additional measures or reasonable adjustments may need to be put in place to mitigate concerns.

Answered by:
Nick Gibb (Conservative)
26 June 2020