Committees

Coronavirus impact on BAME people examined

15 July 2020

This week the Women and Equalities Committee will scrutinise some of the steps taken by the Government in managing the outbreak and its spread; the impacts of these measures for BAME people; and the Government's future strategy to mitigate the impacts for BAME people.

The Committee will also assess the Government's role in addressing pre-existing inequalities which have amplified the impacts of coronavirus for BAME people.

Witnesses

Wednesday, 15 July 2020, Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

At 2.30pm

  • Kemi Badenoch MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Government Equalities Office
  • Jo Churchill MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care, Department of Health and Social Care
  • Chris Pincher MP, Minister of State for Housing, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
  • Emma Fraser, Director, Housing Markets and Strategy, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
  • Dorian Kennedy, Deputy Director, Children, Families and Communities, Department for Health and Social Care
  • Marcus Bell, Director, Race Disparity Unit, Cabinet Office

Committee work so far

The Committee has already explored some of these issues in-depth, in earlier evidence, particularly:

  • How far the higher rates of contracting the virus in BAME communities is due to socio-economic factors or other factors;
  • Health inequalities, for example, the role of co-morbidities, access to health care;
  • Housing inequalities, for example, housing conditions, overcrowding, limited access to green space;
  • Employment inequalities, for example, over-representation as key workers, over-representation in shutdown sectors, self-employment; and
  • Economic inequalities, for example, in-work and child poverty, loss of income and the impact of not having a security net.

About the inquiry

The Committee launched this sub-inquiry on 10 June. The primary focus is to examine the impact of coronavirus on BAME people. Throughout the sub-inquiry, the Committee has heard evidence about the impact of Government measures to contain the pandemic on BAME communities.

Further information

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