Lord Agnew Kt DL Minister of State HM Treasury and Cabinet Office 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ Mr Jonathan Ashworth MP Our reference: MC2020/05397 10th Floor Your reference: SJ/JA35655 60 Charles Street Leicester LE1 1FB By email: [email protected] 9 June 2020 Dear Jon, Thank you for your letter of 5 May on behalf of your constituent, Mr Jal Kang, the Sales and Marketing Director of Shrinker Digital, who has offered his company’s support in ensuring important messages regarding Covid-19 reach BAME communities. Your letter was addressed to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove MP, and he has asked me to respond. I am grateful for Mr Kang’s offer of support during these challenging times. Officials with the Cabinet Office Crown Commercial Services team have reviewed the application and business offer by 29k Productions, trading as Shrinker, and they will be in touch direct with the business if its services are needed. Thanks to the public's effort and sacrifice in stopping the spread of Covid-19 the death rate is coming down and hospital admissions are decreasing. The Government’s objective is to return to our way of life as soon as possible, focusing not just on saving lives but also on saving livelihoods. However, it is vital that, as we do so, we avoid the risk of a second peak that could overwhelm the NHS, and that we do not waste the sacrifices people have made in lockdown to get the virus under control. In light of Covid-19, the Government has developed a strong, national campaign to provide information and reassurance to the public. The campaign spans owned, earned and paid-for channels to maximise reach and engagement to ensure compliance with the Government’s measures and ensure that the UK is in the strongest position to recover economically, socially and internationally. As part of this activity, we are seeking new and innovative partnerships to further drive awareness, engagement and compliance with key Government messages. Government policy is to recognise the vital role that media organisations play in ensuring the provision of reliable, high-quality information during this time. Public Health England (PHE), along with other government departments, are working hard to ensure that information provided is keeping everyone informed and confident about their role in staying safe. As part of this work, PHE is translating information into multiple languages - including Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Somali and Urdu. Every death from this virus is a tragedy. As you know, we commissioned a review by PHE to find out which groups are most at risk so that we can take the right steps to protect them and minimise their risk. It is now very clear that some people are significantly more vulnerable to Covid-19, and the review has underlined that being from a BAME background is a major risk factor. We are determined to continue to develop our understanding. The Government’s Equalities Minister, Kemi Badenoch MP, will be leading on further work in this area, with PHE and others, to explore the causes and identify what more can be done. I hope this response is helpful to Mr Kang. Lord Agnew Kt DL
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