Michael Jabez Foster: I join other speakers in offering my congratulations to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Robert Key) on securing this timely debate, the contributions to which we have all listened to with great interest. The Government will be carefully following the progress of the Synod's draft Measure. I am grateful for the clear way that the hon. Gentleman set out the issues. I am also grateful for the...
Michael Jabez Foster: Applying the requirements is permitted only where that is a proportionate means of complying with the doctrines of the religion or avoiding conflict with the strongly held religious convictions of a significant number of the religion's followers. Of course, in the end, it would be a matter for the courts, but it seems unlikely that it would go as wide as to include an organist. That is...
Michael Jabez Foster: I have placed a copy of the Government Equalities Office's Dignity and Respect at Work Policy in the Libraries of the House.
Michael Jabez Foster: The Audit Commission and other public service inspectorates will have an important role to play in monitoring performance under the new duty, for the public authorities they inspect. We are working with them to develop suitable mechanisms for this, using information that in most cases they already collect through existing processes.
Michael Jabez Foster: The duty will apply to local authorities, and therefore to fire and rescue authorities (FRAs) where these form part of a local authority. We are discussing with the Fire and Rescue Service and other appropriate stakeholders whether the duty should be extended to all FRAs.
Michael Jabez Foster: It is not possible to calculate exact costs as management of freedom of information requests forms only part of the roles of: one admin officer one senior executive officer one corporate services manager policy and other staff dealing with specific requests a small part of the time of one legal adviser.
Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) operates a flexible working policy which is available to all staff. Staff are allowed to work from home, subject to line management agreement based on business need, however central records on the amount of time worked from home are not held.
Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office was created on 12 October 2007. Since then, the following totals have been incurred on travel related expenditure: £ Ministers GEO staff 2007-08 (12 October 2007-31 March 2008) Car hire 6,343 - Train travel - 1,768 Eurostar - 167 Air travel - 5,785 Hotels/meals(1) - 4,817 Total 6,343 12,537 ...
Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office has a two-fold interest in the recommendations of the Glover Report; both internally with regard to its own procurement processes and externally, with regard to reflecting its recommendations within the legislative and non-legislative equality in procurement work we lead on. On the former, we will act on Office of Government Commerce central guidance with...
Michael Jabez Foster: My Department, the Government Equalities Office, was established in October 2007. It has not spent any money on Braille literacy courses since then.
Michael Jabez Foster: My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Women and Equality has no direct discussions with the Secretary of State for Health on levels of race inequality, as responsibility for race inequality lies with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. His Department, however, works with key delivery Departments, including the Department of Health, to support them and...
Michael Jabez Foster: My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister is well known to be a champion of equalities in this context. My right hon. Friend will be aware that the national health service constitution, published this year, puts equality at the heart of the NHS. However, he has raised an important issue, and I know that my colleagues in the Government Equalities Office will wish to continue to discuss it...
Michael Jabez Foster: In June, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Government Equalities Office jointly published research that examined the impact of the recession on disability, age, gender and ethnic minorities. The report found that over the 12 months since its publication, the employment rate for disabled people fell slightly, from 48 per cent. to 47.7 per...
Michael Jabez Foster: The answer for all people is to make the right investment decisions, as the Government are doing, to ensure that there is no increase in unemployment overall. However, as the Equality Bill takes its place on the statute book, the new socio-economic duty will play an important role in ensuring that the economic outcomes for disabled people are particularly taken into account. That is something...
Michael Jabez Foster: The consultation on the specific duties closed on 30 September. We are currently working through the responses and will publish an analysis in due course. The single Equality Duty we are bringing in through our Equality Bill will place a new legal requirement on public bodies to consider how they can design and deliver services in ways that will tackle discrimination and advance equality for...
Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office employs less than five staff over the age of 55 and none over 65 years. The Government Equalities Office does not confirm numbers less than five in order that individuals may not be identified.
Michael Jabez Foster: I have now written to the right hon. Gentleman. It is regrettable that there is no record of the original letters of 23 February and 23 May being received by the Department. I apologise, however, that the reply intended to be sent by the end of July was not sent until 4 September.
Michael Jabez Foster: holding answer 12 October 2009 We are aware of the Commissioner for Human Rights' issue paper on Human Rights and Gender Identity. We are considering carefully the recommendations he has made and will make clear the Government's response in due course.
Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office has not purchased any copies of the Budget 2009 report
Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) operates a flexible working policy which is available to all staff. The GEO currently does not have any staff on job share contracts. Staff are allowed to work from home, subject to line management agreement based on business need, however central records on the amount of time worked from home are not held.