Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to address the disproportionate effect of covid-19 on (a) BAME people and (b) people of a Bangladeshi background.

On 22 October, the Race Disparity Unit at the Cabinet Office published ‘Quarterly report on progress to address COVID-19 health inequalities’, which made three recommendations.

This includes reviewing the effectiveness and impact of current actions being undertaken by relevant Government Departments to directly lessen disparities in infection and death rates of COVID-19 and taking action to modify existing policy, and policy in development, to address these disparities. The Prime Minister has accepted these recommendations. These measures apply to the black, Asian and minority ethnic population, including those of Bangladeshi background.

The report is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/928646/First_Covid_Disparities_report_to_PM___Health_Secretary_Final_22-10-20.pdf