Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to establish an independent public inquiry on the Government's handling of the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Government has always been clear that there will be opportunities to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of COVID-19. As the Prime Minister has said, this will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time. For now the Government is focused entirely on responding to the pandemic and saving lives. Further details will be set out in due course and announced in the usual way.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by his Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Ministers across Government have attended a number of key events coordinated by Jain and Zoroastrian organisations, and officials have invited representatives from both communities to participate in roundtable discussions where relevant issues are discussed.
The Jain and Zoroastrian communities of this country have made, and continue to make a positive contribution to life in the United Kingdom. The Government values this contribution enormously.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will invite representatives of the Jain community to national events organised by his Department; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Britain’s Jain community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This Government values its contribution immensely.
The Cabinet Office is always keen to work with the Jain community on matters that are important to them, and we will continue to do so.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he will hold discussions with the Office of National Statistics on the potential merits of introducing alternatives to the write-in option and search box to be used in the 2021 Census to ensure more accurate data on the Jain community in that census; and if will he make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government will be guided by the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) recommendations, to Government and Parliament, regarding the demand for particular questions in the next census.
These recommendations were published in the White Paper ‘Help Shape our Future: The 2021 Census of Population and Housing in England and Wales’ in December 2018 (Cm 9745).
Under the ONS proposals, everyone who wishes to identify as being of the Jain religion in the 2021 Census will be able to do so using the write-in option and the new online search-as-you-type facility.
The ONS will work with local groups and organisations to ensure anyone who wishes to identify as Jain knows that they can use these options to do so. The ONS has been in discussions with the Institute of Jainology (IoJ) about how best to reach and work with Jain communities, as well as working with local authorities to identify areas with Jain communities.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to promote to the Jain population in the UK the ability to identify as a Jain in the 2021 census, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government will be guided by the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) recommendations, to Government and Parliament, regarding the demand for particular questions in the next census.
These recommendations were published in the White Paper ‘Help Shape our Future: The 2021 Census of Population and Housing in England and Wales’ in December 2018 (Cm 9745).
Under the ONS proposals, everyone who wishes to identify as being of the Jain religion in the 2021 Census will be able to do so using the write-in option and the new online search-as-you-type facility.
The ONS will work with local groups and organisations to ensure anyone who wishes to identify as Jain knows that they can use these options to do so. The ONS has been in discussions with the Institute of Jainology (IoJ) about how best to reach and work with Jain communities, as well as working with local authorities to identify areas with Jain communities.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the Office of National Statistics to ensure that the religious classification of Jainism is not confused with the term Hindu; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government will be guided by the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) recommendations, to Government and Parliament, regarding the demand for particular questions in the next census.
These recommendations were published in the White Paper ‘Help Shape our Future: The 2021 Census of Population and Housing in England and Wales’ in December 2018 (Cm 9745).
Under the ONS proposals, everyone who wishes to identify as being of the Jain religion in the 2021 Census will be able to do so using the write-in option and the new online search-as-you-type facility.
The ONS will work with local groups and organisations to ensure anyone who wishes to identify as Jain knows that they can use these options to do so. The ONS has been in discussions with the Institute of Jainology (IoJ) about how best to reach and work with Jain communities, as well as working with local authorities to identify areas with Jain communities.