Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the reasons for health inequalities; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle health inequalities to protect people at greatest risk from covid-19.

On the 22 October the Minister for Equalities, (Kemi Badenoch MP) published her first quarterly report to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on progress to tackle COVID-19 disparities experienced by individuals from an ethnic minority background, making 13 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. As well as taking action to modify existing policy, and policy in development, to address these disparities. All of which the Prime Minister has accepted.

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