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50137

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Yes.</p>

65795

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Women play a vital role in the economy. The Small Business Survey found that SMEs led by women contributed £75 billion to the economy in 2012 alone. The Women's Business Council estimate that, by equalising the labour force participation rates of men and women, the UK could further increase GDP per capita growth by 0.5 percentage points per year, with potential gains of 10% of GDP by 2030.</p><p>In November last year, the Government published its action plan on women and the economy, setting out full range of action we are taking, including extending the right to request flexible working from June and introducing Shared Parental Leave in April 2015.</p><p>We now have the highest number of women in work and in self-employment on record, the highest ever employment rate for women, and record numbers of women-led enterprises.</p>

50577

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>We have made no estimate.</p><p> </p><p>A survey of companies with over 250 staff, published in 2010, found that 43% had carried out some analysis of their gender pay gap. A further 12% were planning to do so. However, it should be noted that this analysis may have been less than a full gender pay audit.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is legislating to ensure that, subject to certain exceptions, any employer that loses an employment tribunal case on equal pay will be required to conduct an equal pay audit and publish the results.</p>

50418

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>There is a lack of certainty on some intrinsic issues around caste, such as what it is and how it is manifested, partly because there had never been any form of public consultation on caste. It was accepted therefore by both Front Benches during the Parliamentary debate on this issue last year that the whole process, up to and including the commencement of legislation, would take time and should include a consultation on the proposed legislation. The Government is currently considering two issues which have developed and which have potential implications for the consultation stage. We would expect the public consultation document, including our conclusions on these matters, to issue in the Autumn. We will then be in a position to consider plans to introduce regulations. You may also wish to note the answer given to Lord Avebury by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, which can be found in the Official Report for 6 May 2014, Col 331-2.</p>

76946

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>There has been one laptop loss in 2014.</p>

58329

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The £1 million Woman and Broadband Challenge Fund is additional to the Super Connected Cities programme. It will support local activity to help women take advantage of the Government's investment in superfast broadband to set-up or grow their business. The 40 broadband projects in England already delivering the Superfast Broadband Programme are invited to submit bids to the Fund.</p><p> </p>

60963

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The table shows the proportion of staff, within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years and who have declared themselves as white British.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p><strong>Percentage of DCMS headcount who have been subject to disciplinary proceedings</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of staff subject to disciplinary proceedings who declared themselves as white British</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of staff subject to disciplinary proceedings who declared their nationality as British but ethnicity is undeclared</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2009 – 31 March 2010</p></td><td><p>0.2%</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2010 – 31 March 2011</p></td><td><p>0.7%</p></td><td><p>67%</p></td><td><p>33%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td><td><p>50%</p></td><td><p>50%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013</p></td><td><p>0.3%</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2013 – 31 March 2014</p></td><td><p>0.8%</p></td><td><p>67%</p></td><td><p>33%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The figures as they relate to the period from September 2012 include the Government Equalities Office, which joined the Department in that month as part of a machinery of Government move. Before September 2012, the Government Equalities Office was part of the Home Office and the information requested for this period is not available.</p><p> </p>

60964

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The table shows the proportion of staff within the Department for Culture, media and Sport who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years and declared themselves as white British.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p><strong>Percentage of DCMS headcount who have been dismissed</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of staff dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings who declared themselves as white British</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of staff subject to disciplinary proceedings who declared their nationality as British but ethnicity is undeclared</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2009 – 31 March 2010</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2010 – 31 March 2011</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012</p></td><td><p>0.2%</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2013 – 31 March 2014</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The figures as they relate to the period from September 2012 include the Government Equalities Office, which joined the Department in that month as part of a machinery of Government move. Before September 2012, the Government Equalities Office was part of the Home Office and the information requested for this period is not available.</p>

63759

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The table sets out the percentage of employees, within each performance category, who have declared a disability, and the percentage of all other staff in each performance category for the 2013-14 reporting year for assessments received to date. The percentage of all other staff includes staff who have either explicitly declared that they do not have a disability, have chosen the ‘prefer not to say' option, or have not responded to the question at all.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Percentage</strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Excellent </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Good</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Must Improve</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Percentage of employees who have declared a disability in each performance rating</p></td><td><p><strong>0%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>4.2%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>8.3%</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Percentage of all other staff employed in each performance rating</p></td><td><p><strong>33.3%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>45.8%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>8.3%</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) takes seriously its obligations to collect diversity data as required by the Equality Act 2010. All staff have been asked to provide personal diversity data to be held anonymously, and we continue to encourage increased declaration by staff. As such these figures will not be fully representative of workforce diversity.</p>

49333

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The survey of Think, Act, Report participating companies was conducted in October 2013. There were 39 responses, roughly a third of the companies then supporting the initiative.</p><p> </p><p>The survey was anonymous, so the Department does not hold information on which of the companies have conducted gender pay audits. However, we are aware there are at least 16 such companies.</p><p> </p><p>At least two companies, Friends Life and Genesis Housing, publish detailed gender pay gap information broken down by every grade. The Government is using the initiative to encourage companies to publish pay information, and for many of them signing-up to Think, Act, Report is their first step on that journey.</p>

77239

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The provision of guidance to local authorities on registration matters is the responsibility of the General Register Office for England and Wales, part of Her Majesty's Passport Office. Guidance on the conversion process has already been issued.</p>

77238

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The proposed fees for converting a civil partnership to marriage have been calculated on a full cost recovery basis. Where comparable processes exist for marriage and civil partnership, for example, for housebound and detained persons, these have been mirrored in the calculations for the conversion fees. Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary legislation, the fee to convert a civil partnership to a marriage will be:</p><p> </p><p>· £45 - standard procedure at a register office</p><p>· £99 - at the residence of a housebound person</p><p>· £117 - at the place of detention of a detained person</p><p>· £15 – special procedure where a person is seriously ill and not expected to recover.</p><p> </p><p>There will be separate fees for conversions conducted in consulates overseas which have yet to be confirmed.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises that some couples may not have entered into their civil partnership if marriage had been available to same sex couples at that time. Therefore the Home Secretary has agreed to waive the fee for one year from 10 December 2014 for any couple who formed their civil partnership prior to 29 March 2014.</p>

93868

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The pilot Access to Elected Office fund has approved 57 grants for 50 disabled applicants; the average value of claims from the fund has been £4,289. £88,260 was claimed in grants over 2012-14 and £156,215 has been approved for drawdown since the fund was extended from 1 July 2014. Total expenditure will depend on the number of successful applications to the fund.</p><p> </p><p>An assessment of the fund’s effectiveness is planned for 2015 to inform a decision by the next Government on whether the fund should continue.</p>

60627

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The information requested is not collected or held centrally.</p>

49329

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The contract to conduct a review of the available evidence on the most effective practices to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools has been awarded to NatCen Social Research following a rigorous assessment process.</p>

91328

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The answer is in the tables.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Rt Hon Maria Miller MP</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Visit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Purpose</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>10/5/13</p></td><td><p>Bury</p></td><td><p>To launch pilot scheme to get more women and girls active and tackle the gender gap in sport.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>14-18/10/13</p></td><td><p>USA</p></td><td><p>Included discussions on women and the economy.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1-4/12/13</p></td><td><p>China</p></td><td><p>Included equalities related activity.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>15-17/12/13</p></td><td><p>Russia</p></td><td><p>Included discussions on LGBT rights.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>10/1/14</p></td><td><p>Wiltshire</p></td><td><p>Included visit to Riding for the Disabled, to see how the organisation supports disabled people.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>11-14/3/14</p></td><td><p>UN Commission on the Status of Women</p></td><td><p>To promote women’s rights and help ensure a strong set of agreed conclusions.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Visit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Purpose</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>21/5/14</p></td><td><p>Brighton</p></td><td><p>Included an interview with a local LGBT publication.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2/6/14</p></td><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p>Visited Birmingham LGBT and interview with local online LGBT publication.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Visit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Purpose</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>7/5/14</p></td><td><p><strong>The National Science Museum, London</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>To launch the ‘Your Life’ campaign </strong>to motivate more girls to continue to study maths and physics.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>13/5/14</p></td><td><p><strong>Google Campus for Mums, Shoreditch, London</strong></p></td><td><p>To announce a new £1million challenge fund to help female entrepreneurs benefit from superfast broadband.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>05/06/14</p></td><td><p><strong>Paris</strong></p></td><td><p>Attended a Conference to explore practical strategies and best practices in accelerating women’s economic progress worldwide</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Helen Grant MP </strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Visit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Purpose</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>19/6/13</p></td><td><p>Pimlico Academy, London</p></td><td><p>To encourage girls in their career aspirations.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>25/6/13</p></td><td><p>St Mary’s Primary school, Moss Side, Manchester</p></td><td><p>To encourage girls in their career aspirations.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>3/12/13</p></td><td><p>Bury</p></td><td><p>To see the progress of Sport England pilot.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2-3/6/14</p></td><td><p>Malta</p></td><td><p>Undertook equalities meetings as well as tourism events.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong> J</strong><strong>o Swinson MP</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Visit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Purpose</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31/1/13</p></td><td><p>Durham</p></td><td><p>To raise SMEs awareness of the Equality Act 2010.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>7/3/13</p></td><td><p>Epsom</p></td><td><p>To raise SMEs awareness of the Equality Act 2010.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>8/3/13</p></td><td><p>The National Science Museum</p></td><td><p>To celebrate International Women’s Day and speak to young girls about careers in science, engineering, technology and maths.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>14/3/13</p></td><td><p>Big Bang Fair - ExCeL centre London</p></td><td><p>To encourage interest by women in science and engineering.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4/10/13</p></td><td><p>Wiltshire</p></td><td><p>To visit military personnel and spouses benefiting from Rural Growth Network.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>21/11/13</p></td><td><p>Bridge Academy London</p></td><td><p>To launch project to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying Project.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Jenny Willott MP</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Visit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Purpose</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2/6/14</p></td><td><p>Royal Free Hospital London</p></td><td><p>To launch report into body image during pregnancy and after birth.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4/6/14</p></td><td><p>Highams Park School, Highams Park, London</p></td><td><p>To launch the ‘Opening doors’ pilot scheme aimed at encouraging more girls to undertake A’ Levels in subjects traditionally dominated by boys.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>18/6/14</p></td><td><p>Liverpool</p></td><td><p>To promote the role of women in the economy at the International Festival for Business.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p>

49944

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Women's Business Council has already met on two occasions this year to progress the recommendations in its report published in 2013: on 5 March 2014 and 24 April 2014.</p><p> </p><p>Women's Business Council members have met with Minsters four times during the last 12 months.</p>

91102

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The UK Government is proud of its record in protecting and advancing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens and in promoting equal treatment abroad.</p><p>The Yogyakarta Principles are a set of standards conceived by an independent group of human rights experts. The Principles have not been adopted by any nation state or international legislative body and the Government does not intend to undertake an assessment of the extent to which its policies conforms to them. However, our legislation, policy and practice in relation to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality meets, or surpasses, our international commitments and human rights requirements.</p>

50404

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) continue to recognise the UK as the highest ranking country for human rights protection of LGBT people in Europe.</p><p>The UK Government is a member of the European Network of Governmental LGBT Focal Points which enables us to disseminate good practice and insight from the UK. Other members include European Union member states.</p><p>The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 will recognise legally valid marriages of same sex couples formed in other European countries as legal marriages in England and Wales. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in liaison with the Government Equalities Office, is also carrying out an exercise to gain recognition of marriages of same sex couples formed in England and Wales overseas, including in other European Union member states.</p>

77240

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government's Women and the Economy action plan sets out a clear programme of work to maximise women's contribution to economic growth and address the gender pay gap. I have oversight of this, as well as being the minister responsible for key elements of it, such as extending flexible working, introducing shared parental leave, and increasing the number of women on company boards. I regularly meet with ministerial colleagues and others to discuss these issues, and the Ministers for Women gave a joint presentation to Cabinet in April on these issues.</p>

91574

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government has recently commissioned a consortium of TNS, BRMB and NIESR to conduct a feasibility study into how it might be possible to estimate the extent of any caste-based discrimination in Britain. The consortium is due to present its final report to Government in November.</p>

77744

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office joined DCMS in September 2012. The Department’s database management system does not record this information in a way that can extract the information asked for. To identify this information for each employee would incur disproportionate cost. Pay awards for civil service departments are limited to an average of up to one percent of overall paybill costs.</p>

78805

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office has not spent any money on plants, televisions or artwork over the past 5 years.</p><p> </p><p>The available information is in the table.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Expenditure on Catering and Refreshments</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>£3,666</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>£3,328</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Notes:</p><p>1. GEO’s transfers between Departments mean that the data is only accessible through a number of different legacy systems. Further detail could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p>2. Expenditure on wine is included in the figures above; it is not recorded separately.</p>

78806

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office has not spent any money on plants, televisions or artwork over the past 5 years.</p><p> </p><p>The available information is in the table.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Expenditure on Catering and Refreshments</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>£3,666</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>£3,328</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Notes:</p><p>1. GEO’s transfers between Departments mean that the data is only accessible through a number of different legacy systems. Further detail could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p>2. Expenditure on wine is included in the figures above; it is not recorded separately.</p>

50527

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office has not provided any funding to such organisations.</p>

91099

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office has not met hate crime prevention groups specifically, but meets regularly with stakeholders – such as Stonewall, the End Violence Against Women Coalition, and the Lesbian and Gay Foundation – to discuss a broad range of issues including hate crime. In addition, Government Equalities Office officials attend the Hate Crime Strategy Board, a cross-Government working group led by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice which considers policy and service improvements to prevent and reduce all forms of hate crime, and improve the criminal justice system’s response to such incidents.</p>

91100

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office (GEO) is a small policy unit which, under successive governments, has moved between parent Departments following changes of Ministerial portfolio.</p><p> </p><p>The resources, productivity and capacity of the GEO are kept under continuous review to ensure they are sufficient to deliver the Government’s equalities programme.</p><p>No formal assessment has been made of the financial costs, other costs or benefits of relocating GEO staff.</p><p> </p><p>Following the recent reshuffle in July, the GEO will continue to be based in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and will serve the Ministers for Women and Equalities.</p>

91101

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office (GEO) is a small policy unit which, under successive governments, has moved between parent Departments following changes of Ministerial portfolio.</p><p> </p><p>The resources, productivity and capacity of the GEO are kept under continuous review to ensure they are sufficient to deliver the Government’s equalities programme.</p><p>No formal assessment has been made of the financial costs, other costs or benefits of relocating GEO staff.</p><p> </p><p>Following the recent reshuffle in July, the GEO will continue to be based in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and will serve the Ministers for Women and Equalities.</p>

91326

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office (GEO) is a small policy unit which, under successive governments, has moved between parent Departments following changes of Ministerial portfolio.</p><p> </p><p>The resources, productivity and capacity of the GEO are kept under continuous review to ensure they are sufficient to deliver the Government’s equalities programme.</p><p>No formal assessment has been made of the financial costs, other costs or benefits of relocating GEO staff.</p><p> </p><p>Following the recent reshuffle in July, the GEO will continue to be based in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and will serve the Ministers for Women and Equalities.</p>

77241

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office (GEO) embraces flexible working. All posts are advertised on a flexible basis and GEO employees have always had the opportunity to request temporary or permanent changes to their working patterns at any time. This approach significantly reduces the need for GEO employees to make a statutory application for flexible working and we have no record of any such request having been made.</p>

77242

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government Equalities Office (GEO) embraces flexible working. All posts are advertised on a flexible basis and GEO employees have always had the opportunity to request temporary or permanent changes to their working patterns at any time. This approach significantly reduces the need for GEO employees to make a statutory application for flexible working and we have no record of any such request having been made.</p>

77243

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent body and is responsible for its own staff management, including staff salaries. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive of the Commission to write to the honourable member with the information requested.</p><p> </p>

77745

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent body and is responsible for its own staff management, including non-permanent staff salaries. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive of the Commission to write to the honourable member with the information requested.</p>

49758

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent body and is responsible for its own staff management, including diversity training. The guidance papers requested are internal documents that were not intended for wider publication. However, I have asked the EHRC to send copies to the Hon Member.</p>

49459

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Department has no plans to bring forward such proposals.</p>

60962

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which includes the Government Equalities Office, has no specific targets for increasing employeediversity. DCMS publishes its employee diversity information on data.gov.uk annually. The most recent diversity information can be found at the following link</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/237397/DCMS_Equality_Workforce_Data_2012-2013.csv/preview" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/237397/DCMS_Equality_Workforce_Data_2012-2013.csv/preview</a></p>

65591

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Department does not currently have any apprentices from the Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship Scheme. We have however taken part in the Summer Diversity Internship Programme and offer placements to individuals on the various Fast Stream schemes. These schemes are managed centrally by Cabinet Office and Civil Service Resourcing.</p>

65589

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Since joining DCMS in September 2012, as part of a machinery of Government move, the Government Equalities Office has answered the following proportion of its Named Day parliamentary questions within the prescribed period:</p><p> </p><p>2012 (September 2012 to Dec 2012) 0% (of those late 55% were answered within one day of the prescribed period)</p><p>2013 (January 2013 to December 2013) 46% (of those late 22% were answered within one day of the prescribed period)</p><p>2014 (January 2014 to Date) 83% (of those late 50% were answered within one day of the prescribed period)</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold figures for previous years.</p>

91575

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Since April 2013, the Government has had numerous discussions with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (the EHRC) about research into caste discrimination.</p><p> </p><p>Most of these discussions have concerned the work leading up to the EHRC-commissioned research reports – the ‘Socio-legal review’ and the ‘Experts’ Seminar and Stakeholder Workshop’. These reports looked at issues surrounding caste in Britain and were published in February 2014 as part of its Caste in Britain project. Discussion took place about the reports themselves and about the planned follow-up research which the EHRC was initially due to undertake to determine the extent of any caste discrimination in Britain but which it subsequently withdrew from earlier this year.</p>

77488

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Since 2010 the Government Equalities Office (GEO) has not let any contracts between £1 million and £3million and does not have any current plans to do so. The GEO has only let one contract over £3million since 2010 and does not have any current plans of further contracts of this value. Monitoring of the contract, which is in relation to the Equalities Advisory Support Service, is undertaken alongside other duties by a small team of officials; there is no resource or budget solely for the monitoring of this contract.</p>

60453

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Section 9 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 provides that civil partners may convert their civil partnership into marriage under regulations to be made by the Secretary of State, and that the resulting marriage will be treated as having subsisted since the date the civil partnership was formed. Civil partnerships and marriage are separate legal institutions so a process is required for conversion. We are working hard to ensure that couples wanting to convert their civil partnerships into marriages are able to do so as soon as possible. We aim to do this before the end of 2014.</p><p>These aspects of implementing the Act take longer because they involve developing and implementing completely new procedures and processes. This contrasts with the work to make new marriages for same-sex couples possible, where we were able to build on existing processes so implementation was more straightforward.</p>

58211

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Public bodies in England, Scotland and Wales are subject to the s149 of the Equality Act 2010 (Public Sector Equality Duty), which requires them to have to due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity between different groups, for example between men and women in carrying out their functions including policy development.</p>

93867

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Public appointments made by the Government Equalities Office in the last five years have been to the Equality and Human Rights Commission:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p><strong>2009</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EHRC public appointments</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>For the last five years EHRC Commissioners have received fees at a rate of £400 per day (except for the Chair and Deputy Chair who are salaried). Commissioners also receive expenses for travel and subsistence in the course of their EHRC duties. Payments made vary considerably depending on each Commissioner’s role and the amount of time that each contributes. The table shows the range of remuneration paid to Commissioners during the period:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p><strong>2009/10</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2010/11</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Range of EHRC Commissioner salary or fees paid</p></td><td><p>£2,366 to £124,000</p></td><td><p>£7,000 to £124,000</p></td><td><p>£10,808 to £147,000</p></td><td><p>£2,167 to £65,000</p></td><td><p>£10,000 to £55,838</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Range of EHRC Commissioner expenses paid</p><p> </p></td><td><p>£2 to £1,574</p></td><td><p>£1 to £1,580</p></td><td><p>£1 to £1,260</p></td><td><p>0 to £1,718</p></td><td><p>0 to £7,679</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p>

91573

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>On 18 August 2014 the Prime Minister announced that the family test was being formalised as part of the impact assessment for all domestic policies. From October 2014, every new domestic policy will be examined for its impact on the family.</p>

79121

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>My Rt Hon Friend and I have not had any such discussions.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to the protection and promotion of women’s rights. Sharia law has no jurisdiction in England and Wales and the Government has no intention of changing this position. Everyone, male or female, is equal before the law in this country.</p><p> </p><p>The practice note issued by The Law Society on 13 March gives guidance to solicitors preparing wills under the law of England and Wales. It is a fundamental principle of this law that testators are, by making a valid will, able to leave their property to whomsoever they wish, subject only to the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. The practice note does not and cannot change the law. The courts will continue to apply the law of England and Wales relating to the making of wills in exactly the same way as they did before the practice note was issued</p>

65590

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Ministers and officials from the Government Equalities Office regularly meet a broad range of LGB&amp;T stakeholders, including mental health providers and other organisations with an interest in this area, to discuss key issues and priorities for the sector. Topics raised include the mental health needs of LGB&amp;T individuals, areas of discrimination and issues with service provision.</p><p>In the last year, officials have met with organisations with an interest in this area including: the Albert Kennedy Trust, Bi Community News, Bisexual Index, BiUK, Broken Rainbow, GALOP, GIRES, METRO Centre, PACE, Press for Change, Stonewall, Stonewall Housing, The Lesbian and Gay Foundation (LGF), The LGBT Consortium, and The National LGB&amp;T Partnership. The LGBT Consortium, the National LGB&amp;T Partnership and BiUK are umbrella organisations who raise issues on behalf of their wider membership. Officials also sit on the Parliamentary Forum on Gender Identity where mental health issues are regularly raised. Officials have also had meetings with NHS England and Public Health England at which they have discussed mental health issues.</p><p>In the last year, the Minister for Sport, Tourism &amp; Equalities met representatives from the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, LGB&amp;T Consortium, PACE Health, Stonewall, Broken Rainbow, the METRO Centre, and BiUK on 10 October 2013; and representatives from GIRES, Gendered Intelligence and the Gender Identity Clinic in Hammersmith on 15 October 2013.</p><p>On 12 June 2014 the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport visited Birmingham LGBT Centre which hosts mental health services. The Secretary of State also met leading LGB&amp;T representatives on 30 June 2014 including Stonewall, Lesbian and Gay Foundation, LGB&amp;T Consortium, GIRES, and Gendered Intelligence. Health issues were discussed at all events.</p>

64435

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Information on the Dignity at Work conferences is in the process of being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.</p>

93660

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>I regularly discuss with ministerial colleagues the Government’s commitment to the protection and advancement of women’s rights both domestically and overseas. In the summer we hosted two global events – a summit with a focus on preventing sexual violence in conflict which generated strong international support; and a girl summit. The Girl Summit brought together a range of international stakeholders to accelerate momentum in tackling child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation and to rally a global movement to end the practices everywhere within a generation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are also strong supporters of a stand-alone goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the post-2015 development framework.</p><p> </p>

60961

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by My Rt Hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.</p>

49600

	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2014 Official Report, col 651W.</p>