Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) Equality Impact Assessments and (b) equality screenings have been produced by his Department in the last three months.

Under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), all public authorities, including Government departments, are required by law to have due regard to certain equality considerations when carrying out their functions.

While equality impact assessments and equality screenings may be produced, there is no legal requirement for these assessments to be compiled in a specific format or published.

In accordance with section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Ministry of Justice ensures that assessment of the equality considerations of its policy proposals is integrated into the development, implementation, and review of its policies.

We do not keep a central record of all equality impact assessments or screenings undertaken in recent months. However, and where relevant, the equality assessments undertaken are often published alongside policy consultations on the Ministry of Justice consultation hub, which is publicly available on GOV.UK: Ministry of Justice - Citizen Space.