Chi Onwurah

India remains the UK’s second largest foreign direct investment (FDI) market of origin, second after only the US. In 2021/22, the Department for International Trade supported 98 FDI investments originating from India, creating almost 8,300 jobs across the UK. In the 3 years to March 2021, on average households in the Indian ethnic group were the most likely to have a weekly income of £2,000 or more.

The Government is committed to making Britain a fairer place for all, and for delivering equality of opportunity for everyone. This includes tackling all types of discrimination, including on grounds of race, wherever it arises.

It is unlawful to discriminate, harass or victimise a person because of their race, ethnicity, nationality or colour. The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) provides legal protection for the protected characteristic of race, which includes colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origins. This means the Act provides protection against unlawful racial or ethnic discrimination in employment and in other areas covered by the Act such as services, transport, education and housing.

A person's voice/accent can sometimes be an indicator of a protected characteristic (in particular race). So although accent is not a protected characteristic, it is possible that discriminating against a person because of their accent will amount to unlawful discrimination under the Act, depending on the circumstances.

Advancing fairness and equality of opportunity in the workplace is a key priority for this Government. Everyone should be treated fairly as an employee or job applicant so that they can thrive and reach their full potential. A diverse workforce is good for business and we recognise that employers stand the best chance of achieving this when they focus their efforts on effective actions which have a proven track record of improving diversity and inclusion.

The Government’s approach is to progress specific policies and practical actions that will deliver real change. Our agenda set out in the White Paper ‘Levelling Up the United Kingdom’ is key to this and we are promoting social mobility and tackling inequality through a range of initiatives – for example in education, through reforms to the welfare system, by giving greater developmental devolution in England and rebalancing the economy through schemes such as the Towns Fund.

We welcome the Sutton Trust’s Speaking Up report and note it recognises that accent is a key facet of several protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 – for example, sex, race, age and sexual orientation ­­– this may offer some protection, depending on the particular circumstances of the case.

We have taken on board the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED) recommendations, and as part of the UK Government’s response ‘Inclusive Britain’, Action 69 is the commitment to establish an Inclusion at Work Panel to examine the evidence to understand what actually works to improve inclusion in the workplace and to share that information with employers so they can take action.

Made up of a panel of academics and practitioners in business it will develop and disseminate effective resources to help employers drive fairness across organisations. This will go beyond just race and ethnicity to identify actions to promote fairness for all in the workplace. It will include a programme of research and workplace trials to provide a robust evidence base and root out poor quality training.

In addition, we have published guidance that sets out the steps that employees can take if they are experiencing bullying or harassment at work, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment.

Acas provides free and impartial advice for employers and employees, and has also published useful guidance on how to deal with bullying in the workplace that we encourage individuals and employers to consider when dealing with such matters. This is available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/if-youre-treated-unfairly-at-work/being-bullied.

The Minister for Equalities’ role represents all aspects of the women and equalities portfolio in Cabinet. This portfolio has not changed. The Cabinet role will be supported by the Minister for Women and the equalities Lords Minister.

The regular Women and Equalities Questions session in the Commons also retains that name, to reflect its scope including women’s issues. Details of Ministerial priorities will be shared in due course.

I met with the chair of the Climate Change Committee following the publication of the report.

The Cabinet’s Climate Action Implementation Committee, which I chair, has also had an initial discussion on the findings of the report.

The Government will set out a formal response later this year.

In its recently published Strategic Plan 2022 to 2025, the Equality and Human Rights Commission singled out digital services and artificial intelligence as one of its strategic priorities. The Commission intends to intervene where necessary to ensure that people are protected from discrimination online, just as they must be in more traditional settings.

We must draw on all our available talent and inspire more young people, including those currently under-represented in the STEM workforce, to take up STEM subjects and careers. Our focus on STEM diversity is primarily because of its importance to the UK's continued growth and its impact on wider society. STEM sector jobs are, on average, higher paid than those in the retail and care sectors, so supporting under-represented people into STEM helps their income, and supports our levelling up agenda.

The Equality Hub’s focus is on data and evidence, and a commitment to sharing that across Government so that we can all develop practical interventions that we know will have an impact. Officials work closely with other relevant departments, as well as academics and other organisations working in the sector to improve the shared evidence base.

The Social Mobility Commission (SMC), an independent body sponsored by the Equality Hub in the Cabinet Office, looks at social mobility from a UK perspective. The Social Mobility Commission's new Index does not focus on any one sector or industry, but looks at occupational classes more broadly, using the NS-SEC classifications from the ONS Labour Force Survey.

We take this issue very seriously. On Monday my Rt Hon. friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced a review into possible inadvertent bias in medical devices. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has also set tackling the challenges faced by AI as one of the priority work areas in its draft strategic plan for the next three years. It is engaging with key stakeholders in AI, like the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Alan Turing Institute and is developing guidance on AI and the Public Sector Equality Duty, for government departments and public bodies, which will be published early in the new year.

The Government is carefully considering the findings of the independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report and will publish its response in due course.

In line with the Commission’s findings, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published a consultation in September 2021 examining the role of sensitive personal data in bias detection and mitigation in AI systems, and the use of the term ‘fairness’ in a data protection context. The consultation is now closed and DCMS is analysing the responses.

The National AI Strategy published in September 2021 also sets out further government action to address concerns around fairness and algorithmic bias. The strategy can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-ai-strategy/national-ai-strategy-html-version.

The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) prohibits employers and service providers from discriminating against employees, job applicants and customers because of or in relation to a protected characteristic. This includes discrimination through actions taken as a result of deploying an algorithm or a similar artificial intelligence mechanism. The key test is how the employer or service provider acts and whether this is lawful under the Act, not the tools used in the decision-making process.

It is for the courts to interpret and apply the law, including where new and evolving technology is at play. To date, it has not been necessary to consider amendments to the Equality Act 2010 in this context and the Government has no plans to bring forward such legislation. However, we will continue to monitor developments.

On 10 September 2021 the government launched a public consultation, Data: A new direction. The consultation proposes reforms to enable organisations to use personal data and sensitive personal data for the purpose of managing the risk of bias in their AI systems. The consultation will close on 19 November 2021.

In addition, the Equality and Human Rights Commission is developing guidance for the public sector on algorithmic decision-making.

The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) prohibits employers and service providers from discriminating against employees, job applicants and customers because of or in relation to a protected characteristic. This includes discrimination through actions taken as a result of deploying an algorithm or a similar artificial intelligence mechanism. The key test is how the employer or service provider acts and whether this is lawful under the Act, not the tools used in the decision-making process.

It is for the courts to interpret and apply the law, including where new and evolving technology is at play. To date, it has not been necessary to consider amendments to the Equality Act 2010 in this context and the Government has no plans to bring forward such legislation. However, we will continue to monitor developments.

On 10 September 2021 the government launched a public consultation, Data: A new direction. The consultation proposes reforms to enable organisations to use personal data and sensitive personal data for the purpose of managing the risk of bias in their AI systems. The consultation will close on 19 November 2021.

In addition, the Equality and Human Rights Commission is developing guidance for the public sector on algorithmic decision-making.

The independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities published its findings on 31 March 2021. The report took an evidence-led approach drawing on academic research, expert views and over 2,300 submissions to the call for evidence. The Employment and Enterprise chapter of the report summarises the Commission’s research about Artificial Intelligence systems and bias in technology.

The Commission recommended that the government issue guidance that clarifies how to apply the Equality Act to algorithmic decision-making and require transparency for public sector bodies when this is applied to decisions concerning individuals. The government is still carefully considering the report’s findings and recommendations and will respond in full this summer.

The independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities published its findings on 31 March 2021. The report took an evidence-led approach drawing on academic research, expert views and over 2,300 submissions to the call for evidence. The Employment and Enterprise chapter of the report summarises the Commission’s research about Artificial Intelligence systems and bias in technology.

The Commission recommended that the government issue guidance that clarifies how to apply the Equality Act to algorithmic decision-making and require transparency for public sector bodies when this is applied to decisions concerning individuals. The government is still carefully considering the report’s findings and recommendations and will respond in full this summer.

The independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities published its findings on 31 March 2021. The report took an evidence-led approach drawing on academic research, expert views and over 2,300 submissions to the call for evidence. The Employment and Enterprise chapter of the report summarises the Commission’s research about Artificial Intelligence systems and bias in technology.

The Commission recommended that the government issue guidance that clarifies how to apply the Equality Act to algorithmic decision-making and require transparency for public sector bodies when this is applied to decisions concerning individuals. The government is still carefully considering the report’s findings and recommendations and will respond in full this summer.

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities published its findings on 31 March 2021 and its report is available on GOV.UK. The Employment and Enterprise chapter of the report includes the Commission’s research about Artificial Intelligence systems and bias in technology.

The Commission has recommended that Government issue guidance that clarifies how to apply the Equality Act to algorithmic decision-making and require transparency for public sector bodies when such is applied to decision making concerning individuals. The Government is now considering the Commission’s recommendations in detail and will respond in full this summer.

While there is no statutory requirement for cloud providers to publish information on their investment activities in the UK, they regularly publish a range of information in the public domain, for example on company websites and blogs.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 17 January is attached.

There is not a contractual requirement for IT cloud infrastructure providers to report on R&D investment. This is mainly due to cloud providers operating outside of the classical, managed outsourcing model. The cloud providers do, however, publish information on their investment activities in the UK.

On 3 November, the Government announced the creation of the National Science and Technology Council as a Cabinet committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, to consider matters relating to strategic advantage through science and technology. The membership and terms of reference of the committee can be found on gov.uk.

Lord Johnson, Minister of State for the Department for International Trade, has responsibility for the Office for Investment.

In October 2022, the National Science and Technology Council was established as an inter-ministerial group responsible for delivering an ambitious UK science and technology strategy and to consider key science and technology issues.

The Cabinet Committee list and membership is decided by the Prime Minister.

GOV.UK is updated regularly with the list of Cabinet Committees, their terms of reference, and membership.

The National Science and Technology Council was a Cabinet Committee which was established in October 2021 to consider matters relating to strategic advantage through science and technology.

The National Science and Technology Council, established in October 2022, is an Interministerial Group responsible for delivering an ambitious UK science and technology strategy.

The council will allow Ministers to coordinate efforts across government to create the very best conditions for science and technology in the UK as a crucial driver of economic growth, prosperity and security.

The National Science and Technology Council was a Cabinet Committee which was established in October 2021 to consider matters relating to strategic advantage through science and technology.

The National Science and Technology Council, established in October 2022, is an Interministerial Group responsible for delivering an ambitious UK science and technology strategy.

The council will allow Ministers to coordinate efforts across government to create the very best conditions for science and technology in the UK as a crucial driver of economic growth, prosperity and security.

A competition to recruit a new Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) is currently underway. A breadth of skills and experience are essential for the role; not only should the postholder possess a first-class reputation in the scientific field, they should also have excellent policy and analytical skills at the strategic level, and the ability to assimilate, evaluate and interpret scientific findings. In addition, they will need to command the confidence and respect of ministers, senior officials and their peers in the scientific community. They will also need to be an excellent communicator who is able to communicate with a broad range of audiences.

A new National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has been established with responsibility for delivering an ambitious UK science and technology strategy. The committee will allow Ministers to coordinate efforts across government to create the very best conditions for science and technology in the UK as a crucial driver of economic growth, prosperity and security.

The Cabinet Office attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence from MPs and Peers. On 26 May 2022, we published data on the timeliness of government responses to correspondence from MPs and Peers for 2021 on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-mps-and-peers-2021. Cabinet Office timeliness improved each quarter of 2021, with 89% of correspondence received from hon. Members in quarter four responded to within 20 working days.

As per the Guide to Handling Correspondence, updated by the Cabinet Office in July 2021, the target response time set by Departments for correspondence must not exceed 20 working days. The Cabinet Office continues to keep its own processes under review to further improve the time taken to respond.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Official Report, 6 July 2022, col. 11MC.

The source was the Dealroom Tech Health Check which is available at https://dealroom.co/blog/uk-tech-health-check-london-tech-week-2022.

This Government has been creating the right tax environment to promote investment and innovation. That is why we introduced the 130% super-deduction for capital investment and increased the Annual Investment Allowance from £200,000 to £1 million. We also have specific tax reliefs aimed at encouraging Venture Capital and early-stage investment, such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Official Report, 6 July 2022, col. 11MC.

The source was the Dealroom Tech Health Check which is available at https://dealroom.co/blog/uk-tech-health-check-london-tech-week-2022.

This Government has been creating the right tax environment to promote investment and innovation. That is why we introduced the 130% super-deduction for capital investment and increased the Annual Investment Allowance from £200,000 to £1 million. We also have specific tax reliefs aimed at encouraging Venture Capital and early-stage investment, such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme.

The Prime Minister has told Secretaries of State and Permanent Secretaries to work together on producing a plan for returning the Civil Service workforce numbers to 2016 levels over the next three years. This work will be overseen by the Efficiency and Value for Money Cabinet Committee.

Places for Growth is contributing towards the Declaration on Government Reform and the Levelling Up priority by increasing the geographic spread of Civil Servants across the UK, increasing opportunities for people from a wider range of places, including establishing the Darlington Economic Campus where more than 110 HM Treasury staff are now in post. As the Levelling Up White Paper set out, departments have committed to moving more than 15,000 Civil Service roles out of Greater London by 2025, and 22,000 by 2030.

Secretaries of State will lead the drive for reductions within their departments and the Civil Service organisations for which they have responsibility. Planning is underway, with departments considering opportunities and the potential impacts that need to be mitigated. As plans are still in development, no decisions have yet been made.

It is the responsibility of every government department, including the Cabinet Office, to make a risk-based assessment of their use of cloud providers for the storage of government data up to “OFFICIAL” level, including UK citizens’ data. When considering a commercial provider, departments should take into account the cloud security principles developed by the National Cyber Security Centre (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/implementing-cloud-security-principles).

The Cabinet Office carries out this risk assessment for each service it delivers to ensure that appropriate controls are in place to protect citizen data.

Departments are required to follow the Technology Code of Practice when choosing a cloud provider, and this is assessed as part of the spend controls function. Departments must show that they have chosen the technology which provides the best value for money while meeting user needs. The Central Digital & Data Office carries out ongoing engagement with departments to review their decision-making about hosting. This includes qualitative analysis through user research as well as spend controls.

The Government wants suppliers of all sizes, including SMEs, to be able to compete for and win government business and we have reduced many of the barriers and bureaucracy in public sector procurement.

We have made no assessment of Bloom Services. However, suppliers are free to use whichever service is most appropriate for them in order to access public contracts.

Contracts Finder covers current and future public sector contracts above £10,000 in central government and £25,000 in the wider public sector. It also includes information on contracts awarded, and whether the contract has been won by small or medium sized businesses or voluntary bodies. It is free to use, and accessible from smartphones and tablets. It is the responsibility of all departments to publish accurate contract notices and award notices on Contracts Finder.

Individual departments are responsible for their own commercial decisions, including the award of contracts.

In 2020, we launched a new model to deliver social value through Government's commercial activities. Central government organisations should use this model to take account of the additional social benefits that can be achieved in the delivery of its contracts, using policy outcomes aligned with this Government’s priorities.

Each Buying Authority has their own commercial spend controls that apply to their contracts with suppliers. Value-for-money and cost implications will vary on a case-by-case basis and it is down to each department to determine what these are in their respective circumstances. The Technology Code of Practice ensures that departments have multiple options available with a range of suppliers.

The driving principle behind public procurement policy is to award contracts on the basis of value for money. That means the optimum combination of cost and quality over the lifetime of the project, not just price alone. The best way to test for and to demonstrate this principle is via an open competition, as is required in most cases by public procurement legislation.

The government wants UK businesses to be successful in bidding for UK public contracts. That is why this government is committed to the procurement reform bill which will provide simpler, less bureaucratic processes for our businesses and better commercial outcomes for our public bodies - all while continuing to comply with our international commitments.

Through our new approach to extend the use of the Social Value Act, effective from 1 January 2021, additional social benefits can be taken into account in the delivery of contracts in a streamlined and standardised way, using policy outcomes aligned to this government’s priorities. From creating jobs and skills, building diverse supply chains and working towards Net Zero, embedding social value in procurement can help us to invest in our communities.

In addition to training commercial staff and making detailed guidance available to all on gov.uk, Cabinet Office and DCMS are working with supplier representative bodies and other external stakeholders to continue to build awareness.

There are a range of suppliers that compete to offer services via a number of framework agreements through the Crown Commercial Service, such as G-Cloud and Cloud Compute. Pricing and commercial offers in this industry are very competitive between suppliers.

Government does not place a cap on the proportion of cloud services provided by any of the current suppliers. Government Departments conduct their own assessments around value for money and implement their outsourcing strategies accordingly to meet their needs.

It is government policy not to comment on or discuss details of national security contracts.

Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.

Publicly available spend data provided by the Crown Commercial Service reports that spend associated with these contracts totals at £371m through G-Cloud Framework Agreements since its 7th iteration up until the present time.

Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.

Publicly available spend data provided by the Crown Commercial Service reports that spend associated with these contracts totals at £371m through G-Cloud Framework Agreements since its 7th iteration up until the present time.