Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to determine the number and identity of people who were dismissed from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as a result of the ban on homosexuality for serving officers in the Diplomatic Service; and whether they will apologise to those who were dismissed on these grounds.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials have continued looking into this and I am eager to bring this to a resolution further to the apology for the ban from Sir Philip Barton (then Permanent Under-Secretary) in 2021. We continue to learn the lessons of the MOD's Etherton Review but it has become apparent how different the circumstances of the ban were, therefore requiring a different response. The FCDO are currently looking at the best way to address this, engaging with Cabinet Office and other relevant Government departments to find the best solution. Specifically, the new Permanent Under-Secretary is engaged on this issue and we are talking to officials and Ministers across Government to find the most appropriate solution.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will implement the recommendations set out in the report Review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender, published by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 19 March.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Sex and gender in data, statistics and research is an important area of discussion, and this review contributes to this ongoing dialogue. Given the wide breadth of recommendations, the government has ensured that the review has been shared with all the relevant departments and policy teams, who will consider the findings in light of their ongoing policy work.

Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, following the publication on 19 March of the report by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender, whether the House of Lords Administration, in collecting personal data for employment purposes, will ensure that (1) any question about sex should by default concern biological sex, and (2) the form of such questions should be “what is your sex” and the options for response are “male” or “female”.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The House of Lords Administration collects personal data from all employees which is recorded on the HR system and provided to HMRC. Employees must provide the sex recorded on their birth certificate or Gender Recognition Certificate (female or male).

The House of Lords Administration is not within the scope of the independent review commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). However, the absence of a single source of authoritative guidance on data collection on sex and gender and the need for attention to maintain impartiality on issues including gender noted in the review are as relevant to the Administration as they are to public bodies within the report’s scope.

The way in which data about sex and gender is collected by the House of Lords Administration is subject to periodic review. Work is currently underway to consider how we approach these issues in survey and data collection undertaken by the Administration, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology review will be a helpful contribution.

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Found: LORD BEST LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM BARONESS HAYTER OF KENTISH TOWN BARONESS THORNHILL _ After Clause

Found: LORD BEST LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM BARONESS HAYTER OF KENTISH TOWN BARONESS THORNHILL _ After Clause

Found: LORD BEST LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM BARONESS HAYTER OF KENTISH TOWN BARONESS THORNHILL _ After Clause

Found: LORD BEST LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM BARONESS HAYTER OF KENTISH TOWN BARONESS THORNHILL _ After Clause

Found: LORD BEST LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM BARONESS HAYTER OF KENTISH TOWN BARONESS THORNHILL _ After Clause

Found: LORD BEST LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM BARONESS HAYTER OF KENTISH TOWN BARONESS THORNHILL _ After Clause