Departmental officials and Ministers talk regularly on a range of issues, and have discussed the Ministry of Defence\u2019s strategy for tackling sexual offending in Defence, which will shortly be released.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4597", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kemi Badenoch"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Saffron Walden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kemi Badenoch"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-22T08:07:05.737Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Armed Forces: Sexual Offences"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, further to the oral contribution of the Minister for Women and Equalities on 8 June 2022, Official Report, column 794HC, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on that Department's strategy on handling cases of rape and serious sexual assault.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4243", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Jarvis"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Barnsley Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Jarvis"} ], "uin" : "20251"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1309810", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1309810/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to providing support to all those that need it, including new mothers and children born during the pandemic, as we recover from the impact of COVID-19. During the crisis we have rolled out unprecedented levels of support to protect jobs and income for both women and men, including via the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Universal Credit uplift.<\/p>
Financial support available for those who are pregnant or new parents includes Child Benefit, the Sure Start Maternity Grant, and the Healthy Start Scheme, as well as Maternity Allowance or paid parental leave for those who are eligible and/or Universal Credit where relevant.<\/p>
We also recognise the impact of the pandemic and restrictions on people\u2019s mental wellbeing and are doing our utmost to ensure that mental health services are there for everyone who needs them. The Government's mental health recovery action plan, backed by £500 million, will support hundreds of thousands of people with mental health issues.<\/p>
All specialist and in-patient perinatal mental health services have remained available during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, having moved at pace during the early stages to be able to deliver digital and remote support.<\/p>
Since 1 April 2020, GPs are required to offer a maternal postnatal consultation at 6-8 weeks after birth, focusing on a review of the mother\u2019s physical and mental health and general wellbeing. This service has also continued throughout the pandemic.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4597", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kemi Badenoch"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Saffron Walden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kemi Badenoch"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-04-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-04-28T15:50:15.267Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-04-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Babies and Mothers: Coronavirus"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with Ministers in HM Treasury on the allocation of specific funding from the public purse to (a) new mothers and (b) children born since the outbreak of covid-19.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4243", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Jarvis"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Barnsley Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Jarvis"} ], "uin" : "182050"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1217455", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1217455/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
It is generally unlawful under the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), for an employer to ask a job applicant about their health or disability - which would include autism - during the initial stages of a recruitment process. The Act aims to ensure that all disabled applicants are given the opportunity to have their ability to carry out a job properly assessed by prohibiting employers from asking questions about their disability and health during the recruitment process, except in a few specific circumstances (for instance to establish whether a job applicant can undertake a function intrinsic to the job). The Act is clear that questions about health and disability can only be asked when an applicant has been offered a job.<\/p>
The Equality and Human Right Commission enforces the Act and provide guidance on recruitment: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/your-rights-equality-work-when-you-apply-job<\/a><\/p> The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website (http://www.acas.org.uk<\/a>) and telephone helpline 0300 123 1190 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1190. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4597", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kemi Badenoch"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Saffron Walden"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kemi Badenoch"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-06-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-06-29T17:02:37.18Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Employment: Autism"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to ensure that employers are not discriminating against autistic job applicants during recruitment in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4243", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Jarvis"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Barnsley Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Jarvis"}
], "uin" : "64193"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1217456", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1217456/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) places obligations on employers in relation to disabled employees. An employer is required to make reasonable adjustments to any element of a job which may place disabled people at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. It is advisable for a disabled person to discuss with an employer or educational provider what reasonable adjustments they would require, since action is dependent on employers having knowledge of a person\u2019s disability.<\/p> The Equality and Human Right Commission enforces the Act and provide guidance on reasonable adjustments: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/multipage-guide/reasonable-adjustments-practice<\/a><\/p>