The Women and Equalities Committee launched an inquiry this week into whether all relevant equality issues have been considered, any possible unforeseen consequences and what improvements can be made.
Concerns
that have emerged so far include the increased risk of domestic abuse where
households are required to stay at home, the impact of school closures on
children with special educational needs and their families, and the risk that
redeploying healthcare and social work professionals to deal with the pandemic
will leave older and disabled people vulnerable in other ways.
The
Committee’s chair, Caroline Nokes MP, said the government needed ‘to ensure
that its policies and plans are as effective as possible’.
The
Committee would like to receive responses by 30 April, or as soon as possible
if relevant to the government’s three-week review of current measures. Find out
more at https://bit.ly/2WYMr96.
