Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to require Government departments to (a) undertake equality impact assessments in relation to proposals to reduce staff and possibly services as part of the plan to reduce the Civil Service by 91,000 posts and (b) consult unions as part the process of drafting those assessments.

Departments have been asked to consider the key equalities impacts when setting out their initial scenario plans for workforce reductions, which will include departments completing equality impact assessments, should proposals be agreed following a robust assessment. Civil Service bodies in developing their plans were also reminded that early and continuing trade union engagement should be taking place. Alongside that, Civil Service HR will continue to update unions at the national level.