The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

As of February 2019, the estimated cost of uprating State Pension in frozen rate countries was around £0.6 billion for 2022 to 2023. This information is published at Estimated costs of uprating State Pension in frozen rate countries - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The total number of people in receipt of a frozen State Pension abroad at a level under £100 per week was 428,830 as of November 2020. ‘UK citizenship’ is not defined/identifiable in this data. This information is published on Stat-Xplore: Stat-Xplore - Home (dwp.gov.uk)

Figure rounded to the nearest 10.

The policy on uprating UK State Pensions overseas is long-standing and has been supported by successive post-war Government for over 70 years. We continue to uprate UK State Pensions abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so – for example where there is a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating. There are no plans to change this policy.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

As of February 2019, the estimated cost of uprating State Pension in frozen rate countries was around £0.6 billion for 2022 to 2023. This information is published at Estimated costs of uprating State Pension in frozen rate countries - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The total number of people in receipt of a frozen State Pension abroad at a level under £100 per week was 428,830 as of November 2020. ‘UK citizenship’ is not defined/identifiable in this data. This information is published on Stat-Xplore: Stat-Xplore - Home (dwp.gov.uk)

Figure rounded to the nearest 10.

The policy on uprating UK State Pensions overseas is long-standing and has been supported by successive post-war Government for over 70 years. We continue to uprate UK State Pensions abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so – for example where there is a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating. There are no plans to change this policy.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

As of February 2019, the estimated cost of uprating State Pension in frozen rate countries was around £0.6 billion for 2022 to 2023. This information is published at Estimated costs of uprating State Pension in frozen rate countries - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The total number of people in receipt of a frozen State Pension abroad at a level under £100 per week was 428,830 as of November 2020. ‘UK citizenship’ is not defined/identifiable in this data. This information is published on Stat-Xplore: Stat-Xplore - Home (dwp.gov.uk)

Figure rounded to the nearest 10.

The policy on uprating UK State Pensions overseas is long-standing and has been supported by successive post-war Government for over 70 years. We continue to uprate UK State Pensions abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so – for example where there is a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating. There are no plans to change this policy.

No such estimate has been made and nor do we hold data on the number of wheelchair users affected in this way.

We are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to live independent lives. In the Levelling-Up White Paper we announced that the UK Government will provide £1.3bn over the Spending Review 2021 period to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. This includes Access to Work: a demand-led, discretionary grant intended to support disabled people to move into and sustain paid employment by providing a contribution to the costs of overcoming workplace barriers. The grant is not means tested and can contribute to the disability related extra costs in the workplace that are beyond standard reasonable adjustments.

In 2017 the Government set a goal to see a million more disabled people in employment between 2017 and 2027. The latest figures released for Q1 (January to March) 2022 show that between Q1 2017 and Q1 2022 the number of disabled people in employment increased by 1.3m – meaning the goal has been met after five years.

No such estimate has been made and nor do we hold data on the number of wheelchair users affected in this way.

We are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to live independent lives. In the Levelling-Up White Paper we announced that the UK Government will provide £1.3bn over the Spending Review 2021 period to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. This includes Access to Work: a demand-led, discretionary grant intended to support disabled people to move into and sustain paid employment by providing a contribution to the costs of overcoming workplace barriers. The grant is not means tested and can contribute to the disability related extra costs in the workplace that are beyond standard reasonable adjustments.

In 2017 the Government set a goal to see a million more disabled people in employment between 2017 and 2027. The latest figures released for Q1 (January to March) 2022 show that between Q1 2017 and Q1 2022 the number of disabled people in employment increased by 1.3m – meaning the goal has been met after five years.

A full review of Part M of the Building Regulations is underway, relating to access to, and use of, buildings. It includes a research programme on the prevalence and demographics of impairment in England and ergonomic requirements of wheelchair users and experiences of disabled people. Evidence gathered will help government consider what changes can be made, including updates to statutory guidance. At present however, no change in the Equality Act 2010 of the sort mentioned in my Noble Friend’s question is envisaged. For service providers the reasonable adjustment duty in the Act is of course anticipatory, which means that those who provide services to members of the public are expected to anticipate the reasonable adjustments that disabled customers may require to ensure the disabled person does not experience a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled counterparts.

A full review of Part M of the Building Regulations is underway, relating to access to, and use of, buildings. It includes a research programme on the prevalence and demographics of impairment in England and ergonomic requirements of wheelchair users and experiences of disabled people. Evidence gathered will help government consider what changes can be made, including updates to statutory guidance. At present however, no change in the Equality Act 2010 of the sort mentioned in my Noble Friend’s question is envisaged. For service providers the reasonable adjustment duty in the Act is of course anticipatory, which means that those who provide services to members of the public are expected to anticipate the reasonable adjustments that disabled customers may require to ensure the disabled person does not experience a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled counterparts.

From 1st April 2021, the Equality Hub received a budget settlement covering all units - the Government Equalities Office, the Disability Unit, the Race Disparity Unit and the Social Mobility Commission. This settlement for the 2021/22 financial year was £18.6m. Within this, the Government Equalities Office budget for 2021/22 as of January 2022 is £9.5m and the Disability Unit budget is £3.6m.

With regards to staffing, the latest staffing allocation - on a full-time equivalent basis - is shown in the table below.

Budgets and staffing allocations for future years are currently being determined and we will provide the usual update to the Women and Equalities Committee in due course.

There is currently no harmonised standard on collecting data on sex across Government. However, the Office for Statistics Regulation has published draft guidance on what to consider when collecting and reporting data on sex in official statistics. The Government Statistical Service is also looking at developing guidance for public bodies on the collection of data on sex and gender using harmonised standards.

While there is currently no robust estimate on the size of the transgender population in the UK, existing evidence suggests that this population is small. It has been tentatively suggested that approximately 200,000-500,000 transgender people live in this country. On this basis, our assessment is that the different approaches considered by government departments for the collection of sex and/or gender data are unlikely to have a large effect on national data sets.

The Government believes that transgender people should be free to live and prosper in modern Britain. We are also absolutely committed to championing the rights of women and girls and are proud of our world-leading legislative framework of rights. Data does not directly impact on individuals’ rights, rather policy development is rightly informed by a strong understanding and engagement with data and evidence. The Government believes that all people should have an equal opportunity to succeed in life, regardless of their sex, gender or background.

The consultation on banning conversion therapy opened on 29 October and will run until 10 December. The consultation follows the Cabinet Office consultation principles, which were updated in 2018 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consultation-principles-guidance.

The Civil Service uses employees' gender identification from information they have already provided for HR/payroll purposes. This can be updated by individuals, giving them the option to make proactive declarations regarding their gender.

The gender pay gap reporting guidance for employers does not distinguish between sex and gender, as most employers do not hold this level of information about their workforce and requiring them to do so would undoubtedly increase the burden on business associated with gender pay gap reporting. Asking employees to provide information which makes this differentiation could result in them being questioned about their gender, and require them to provide personal information without a clear purpose. It is for this reason that we stress the importance of sensitivity when employers are collecting information.

The overall effect of not differentiating between sex and gender in gender pay gap reporting is likely to be small, and will not have a significant impact on data accuracy.

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) website (www.hse.gov.uk) has advice for businesses and organisations on the precautions required in the workplace, including from COVID-19 and enables employees and others to contact HSE about working conditions or practices. HSE has also been working alongside other government departments across a range of sectors following up reports and concerns about safety in the workplace and COVID-19 restrictions.

Throughout the pandemic, HSE has actively engaged with businesses, including clothing manufacturers, by site visits and phone calls, investigating reports from those raising concerns, assessing compliance with health and safety law, and using guidance such as that published about social distancing from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19).

Specifically, in Leicester HSE has investigated 3 textile businesses following concerns reported, contacted 17 and undertaken 14 site visits to assess compliance with health and safety legislation. Enforcement action has been taken at 1 of these sites where non-compliance with COVID-19 risk controls was found.

HSE will continue to regulate workplaces by carrying out proactive spot checks over the coming weeks to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from COVID-19. In Leicester, HSE has prioritised these spot checks in the textile industry and will take enforcement action to secure compliance where businesses cannot demonstrate they are taking all reasonable steps to make their workplace COVID secure. HSE will also continue to respond to reports of concerns raised.

(Footnote – It is usual to provide documents when web links are used in Parliamentary Questions but during the COVID – 19 outbreak Government Departments have used interactive websites that allow stakeholders to access a wide range of guidance that is relevant to their situation. These sites have content pages that link to other sites and documents.)