Baroness Whitaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Whitaker on 2016-03-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the account in the Equalities and Human Rights Commission’s report Is England Fairer? of the discrimination faced by Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, and how they propose to address this.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Government is committed to creating a fair society in which all people, of whatever ethnic origin or background, are able to participate fully in society and realise their full potential. The Government deplores racism in all its forms and is determined to ensure everyone has the opportunity to get on in life, free from harassment and fear.
The UK has a strong and well-established legal framework to combat discrimination and hate crime, which protects all individuals, including Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, from racial and other forms of discrimination, and racially motivated crime.
The Government is taking action to improve the situation of disadvantaged people, including Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, in a number of the areas of concern identified in the Equality and Human Rights Commission report. These include improving educational attainment and attendance; tackling bullying; improving access to healthcare; supporting people into work and keeping them there; tackling hate crime; and addressing the over-representation of ethnic minorities in the criminal justice system.
