Exclusive: UK Government did not assess equalities impact for new No 9 coronavirus briefings

Downing Street has once again failed to consider the impact of its coronavirus briefings on equality – this time for White House-style press conferences held in No 9.

Although they are not a legal requirement, an equality impact assessment (EQIA) – which evaluates a policy’s effect on a specific community – can be used to prove that a public body has met its obligations under the Equality Act.

Before press briefings were moved to the £2.6 million custom-built studio in No 9 in March, they took place in No 10, with The Limping Chicken revealing in August that no EQIA was carried out for the daily news conferences.

This was despite the Cabinet Office previously telling lawyers representing the #WhereIsTheInterpreter campaign – which calls for the Government to provide an in-person British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter for their Covid updates – that it would be “disproportionate” to release such a document.

In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for a copy of the equality impact assessment for the latest briefings from No 9, Downing Street official Nicholas Howard wrote: “We do not hold the specific recorded information you have requested.

“These works were overseen by Mitie and its contractors, under a framework agreement with the Cabinet Office; these contractors have ensured that the relevant provisions in building regulations on access were followed. This information is not directly held by the Cabinet Office.

“Access to 9 Downing Street is through 70 Whitehall which has step-free access as well as accessible toilets. Reasonable adjustments have been made to the briefing room itself, including incorporating a removable ramp into the design.”

Mr Howard’s comments on a ramp for wheelchair users comes after the Disability News Service revealed in March that the new briefing room has a stage which does not have in-built step-free access.

Baroness Jane Campbell, a disabled peer, told the website: “A removable ramp is yet another bolt-on adaptation because nobody assumes there will ever be a disabled wheelchair-using prime minister.

“[The failure] sends out a clear message that, yet again, disability access is an afterthought.”

A month later, the Disability News Service reported that the Cabinet Office has no record of any conversations about the accessibility of the new room in the 12 months before it was unveiled.

Alongside revealing that no EQIA was carried out by the Government in respect of No 9 Downing Street, another FOI response received by The Limping Chicken has proven that the Cabinet Office did not enter a contract with the BBC around interpreting the briefings.

The comments were provided by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on Thursday, concluding a case between The Limping Chicken and Government which had lasted more than eight months.

In its assessment, the ICO – who were approached by this website after the Cabinet Office claimed releasing the information would prejudice commercial interests – wrote: “[The Government] noted that the email dated 21 May 2020 which they had disclosed to you contains what was agreed between Red Bee and the Cabinet Office.

“They advised that a contract appeared to have been agreed between the two parties in order for that email to have been sent, but that there is no single agreement entitled ‘contract’ setting down the terms and conditions.”

The email from May last year was released to The Limping Chicken in February, after this website asked the Cabinet Office to conduct an internal review of their decision to refuse to release the requested information.

In the message, the BBC’s Head of Broadcast and Production Operations writes that their interpreter feed “will only be used on the Downing Street social media streams” and would not be used on the ‘pool’ feed distributed to broadcasters.

They continue to say that the feed would be available from 4:30pm to 6pm on weekdays and from 3:15pm to 5:45pm at the weekend.

However, the BBC said they would “prioritise delivering the Six O’Clock News” from 5:55pm, meaning any conferences which ran beyond this time would not be fully interpreted.

Instances of the BBC’s interpreting provision concluding before the briefing has finished have happened as recently as 14 May, when the interpreter can be seen walking off-screen as Professor Chris Whitty answers a question from a BBC reporter.

The ICO’s ruling continued: “There was no written contract entered into between the Cabinet Office and the BBC.  There was, however, a verbal agreement between a special adviser (who has since left the Cabinet Office) on behalf of the Cabinet Office, and the BBC to share their resources and provide the services.

“The Cabinet Office’s understanding is that the special adviser asked the BBC to share their feed for use with No 10’s online broadcasts. The BBC did not provide an interpreter and one was not physically present for the COVID-19 briefings. There was no written contract and no movement of consideration.”

Confirmation that the conversation took place between the BBC and a special advisor contradicts previous correspondence from the Government in November, in which lawyers representing Downing Street said the BBC’s provision on the News Channel came about “following discussions between the prime minister and the BBC”.

The Limping Chicken’s revelations come just weeks ahead of a judicial review hearing over the issue, which is due to take place on 16 June.

Individuals looking to watch the proceedings are encouraged to email #WhereIsTheInterpreter founder Lynn Stewart-Taylor at lynnstewarttaylor@icloud.com to register.

Photo: Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is a mildly deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He wears bilateral hearing aids and can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.