Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) BAME, and (2) Muslim, women’s organisations are allocated enough funding to meet service demands.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government?continues to play a facilitative?role?in ensuring?Government?understands?the needs of BAME communities, including Muslim women, and the challenges they?may be currently?facing?in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is some evidence to suggest that BAME communities may be disproportionately affected by coronavirus.
There is a substantial package of targeted support for charities on the frontline of responding to COVID-19. The £750m DCMS-led funding package that the Government has announced will support organisations working with vulnerable groups impacted by COVID-19, including some in BAME communities.
Of this funding, £370m will support smaller, local charities working with vulnerable people. In England, this support will be provided through the National Lottery Community Fund. More details of the funding criteria and application process will be released in the coming days via the National Community Lottery Fund. £60m of the funding will be allocated through the Barnett formula so the devolved administrations are funded to provide similar support in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS always strives to engage with and represent all British people in its work, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds.
A further £360m will be distributed between Government departments to provide targeted support to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. This funding will not be allocated via an open bid but will be awarded in line with agreed departmental priorities, with the first £76m going towards supporting survivors of?domestic abuse, sexual violence, vulnerable children and their families and victims of modern slavery announced on 02 May.
As part of this, MHCLG launched a £10m ‘Domestic abuse safe accommodation: COVID-19 emergency support fund’ for charities providing safe accommodation for domestic abuse victims to bid directly into (attached) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-abuse-safe-accommodation-covid-19-emergency-support-fund). This includes charities that provide specialist services such as those dedicated to supporting BAME victims. The deadline for charities to put forward an application is Thursday 21 May.
Departments, including MHCLG, continue to work at pace to ensure this funding reaches the areas of greatest need as quickly as possible, with the aim for our key partners to receive money in the coming weeks.
In addition, for 2020/2021, MHCLG has launched a new competitive grant scheme, with a budget of up to £2m for established community organisations and charities to carry out projects that promote shared values and integration, whilst tackling the harmful behaviours which lead to religiously and racially motivated hate crime. We welcome proposals from projects supporting the BAME community and Muslim women.
The Home Offices’ Building a Stronger Britain Together programme is also continuing to support BAME communities and Muslim women’s organisations within its network. These civil society organisations work within communities to tackle all forms of extremism; support victims of extremism and hate crime, as well as challenging the divisive, extremist narratives targeting minority communities. Preparations for 2020/21 delivery of the BSBT programme are currently underway. The programme uses robust grant standards to ensure our funding delivers the greatest impact for these organisations in tackling extremism issues.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they have provided, as part of their International Aid programme, to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in (1) Bangladesh, (2) Sri Lanka, and (3) Liberia.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19, through our diplomatic efforts and the provision of £744 million of UK aid to counter the health, humanitarian, and economic impacts.
UK aid is supporting Bangladesh’s efforts in fighting COVID-19 across the country. The UK has allocated around £21 million so far to support the priorities set out in the Government of Bangladesh's National Preparedness and Response plan. This includes more than £7 million to support the national health systems and £3 million to the UN Development Programme to reach at least 2.16 million of the poorest inhabitants. More than £10 million has been allocated to existing UN and NGO partners to prepare for COVID-19 and maintain critical humanitarian services in the Rohingya refugee camps. Furthermore, DFID and Unilever are collaborating on a mass global handwashing campaign, which will run across TV, radio and print, social and digital media to help change people’s behaviour in countries across Africa and Asia, including Bangladesh. Messages will be tailored to communities in these countries to ensure they are effective.
The UK does not have a bilateral aid programme in Sri Lanka but through our support to the UN and other international bodies, UK aid will indirectly support Sri Lanka in tackling COVID-19. The UK has also adapted our Conflict, Security and Stability Fund work in Sri Lanka to respond to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable and conflict affected communities.
The UK is a significant contributor to the IMF Catastrophe Fund which Liberia has accessed for debt relief. DFID is aware of the existing levels of poverty and fragile economy in Liberia and is therefore working to address the impacts that COVID-19 will have. In order to do this, we are prioritising our health response as well as the provision of social protection.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure frontline workers are provided with support and counselling following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a comprehensive emotional, psychological and practical support package for National Health Service staff during and following the COVID-19 response. This currently includes: free access to well-being apps; a dedicated support helpline and text service (in partnership with the Samaritans); and a separate helpline offering bereavement support (in partnership with Hospice UK). The Department is working with partners to extend both helplines to the social care workforce and will also be introducing an app and website aimed at providing timely information for the adult social care workforce.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the deaths of two children in the Borough of Redbridge on 26 April and reports on the level of domestic abuse nationally, what support and resources they are allocating for women’s organisations and organisations supporting BAME women with advice, counselling and emergency accommodation as part of the COVID-19 emergency funds.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Domestic abuse is unacceptable in any situation, no matter what the stresses. We are working closely with the sector, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and the police to understand the impact of COVID-19 on domestic abuse incidents and on victims, including BAME women, and have published guidance and advice online.
The awareness campaign, #YouAreNotAlone, launched by the Home Secretary, signposts victims to further support, including specific resources for BAME women.
The Home Office is also allocating an additional £2 million in funding announced by the Home Secretary to support technological capability such as specialist helplines and websites. This is in addition to £750m funding for charities announced by the Treasury.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, towards instigating an independent inquiry into the number of deaths of BAME NHS and care staff due to COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We are very concerned by the apparent disproportionate number of people from minority ethnic backgrounds who have died, both within the National Health Service and overall. We have asked Public Health England to complete a rapid review to understand how COVID-19 may be having an impact on different ethnic groups, and other groups of concern. The terms of reference will be announced in due course.
To complement this rapid review, the National Institute for Health Research and UK Research and Innovation issued a joint call on 22 April for research proposals to investigate emerging evidence of an association between ethnicity and COVID-19 incidence and adverse health outcomes.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have made as part of their COVID-19 emergency planning to ensure that local authorities have adequate funding for children with child protection plans who may not be attending school.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.
The government has announced £3.2 billion of additional funding to support local authorities in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.
This funding is not ringfenced and is intended to help local authorities address any pressures they are facing in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, across all service areas, including children’s social care.
Our latest guidance on vulnerable children is set out below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.
These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide support and assistance to women and girls in refugee camps, following reports that humanitarian organisations are recalling their staff to return home due to COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Refugees are amongst the most vulnerable to the COVID 19 pandemic, with women and girls disproportionately affected. That is why the UK is pushing for greater support to women and girls across the international response.
To date, the UK has committed £744 million in the international fight against COVID-19. That includes significant support to the United Nations Population Fund to address the needs of women and girls, with regards to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
The UK is also supporting the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide essential services for refugees including tackling GBV and child protection, as well as emergency cash assistance to survivors and women-at-risk. Displaced women are actively involved in delivery of assistance, informing their communities about the risks of violence and providing information on prevention and protective health measures.
Whilst the current crisis inevitably has had an impact on access and movement, aid workers remain very much engaged in refugee camps around the world. We are pushing to ensure humanitarian access is maintained and assistance is targeted to those most in need. Humanitarian organisations are also working through local partners on the frontlines of the response including women-led and women’s rights organisations.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to Rohingya women survivors of violence, rape and torture now living in Bangladesh, given reports of an increase in violence against women and girls there.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK’s support to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar since 2017 has helped more than 12,000 individuals receive GBV case management support. In the current situation, while camp operations have been limited to minimise the risk of COVID-19 exposure to refugees, protection services are still being provided. Child Protection Focal Points, GBV case workers, and the Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Network (led by the Inter-Sectoral Coordination Group) continue to play a critical role and ensure continuity despite reduced humanitarian staff presence in the camps. This includes monitoring, coordination, referral and immediate support for survivors. Anti-trafficking awareness raising is also ongoing. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the heightened risks as a result of the current restrictions and – through our partners – will monitor this closely and respond as best as possible within the constraints faced.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that public health information is reaching vulnerable people, including those with (1) hearing impairments, and (2) other disabilities.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Public Health England (PHE) has created a number of easy read versions of the public health advice on COVID-19 for people with learning difficulties, which is available to the public and organisations. An example of an easy read guide on COVID-19 is attached.
There are also a number of British Sign Language resources for the public on PHE’s campaign resource centre including the television advert with the Chief Medical Officer. PHE has provided links from its public facing guidance web page to the wide range of content available in sign language. This includes the guidance on staying at home and shielding vulnerable groups.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on residential homes which care for people with learning difficulties and autism.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Public Health England (PHE) records reported outbreaks of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 in care homes. However, PHE does not hold data on the type of residents cared for. PHE is currently seeking advice from the Care Quality Commission on the range of types of care homes that care for people with a learning disability or autism in order to undertake an analysis of this issue and report back by mid-May.