Coronavirus: Boris Johnson under pressure to publish report recommending measures to protect ethnic minorities

Boris Johnson is coming under pressure to order the immediate publication of a report recommending measures to protect ethnic minority groups from coronavirus.

A review published by Public Health England last week confirmed that Covid-19 is killing people from BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) communities at a higher rate than whites, but did not propose action to counter this.

Downing Street has confirmed that a second report drawing on engagement with informed individuals and organisations within ethnic minority communities, has been prepared for publication next week.

This report is believed to contain proposals for safeguarding measures to deal with the disproportionate risk to BAME groups.

When questioned in the House of Commons last week, the Equalities Minister, Kemi Badenoch, said PHE ”did not make recommendations because they were not able to do so" and she would be taking this work forward.

But Edinburgh University’s public health professor Raj Bhopal told the BBC that PHE had asked him to peer-review a draft of a 64-page report containing recommendations, along with evidence from 4,000 individuals and organisations.

Prof Bhopal said the document had "every hallmark of a [government] report ready to go to the press".

He said: "Public trust saves lives.

"If you consult the public, you must publish the results.

"Otherwise, you've wasted their time, you've wasted your own time, you've wasted taxpayers' money, and you've lost trust."

A Labour Party spokesperson urged Ms Badenoch to explain what she knew and when, adding: "The government's decision to block this report is scandalous and a tragedy. The recommendations it makes could have saved lives."

And Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran commented: "It is simply staggering that this report has not been published already.

"Ministers must now publish these recommendations without delay and ensure action is taken to better protect ethnic minority communities.

"The government cannot sit on their hands any longer while key workers from BAME communities go out and risk their lives in the fight against coronavirus."

A PHE spokesperson said: “The government commissioned PHE to conduct an epidemiological review to analyse how different factors can impact on people's health outcomes from COVID-19. This was published in full on 2 June.

“In parallel, Professor (Kevin) Fenton, on PHE's behalf, engaged with a significant number of individuals and organisations within the BAME community, to hear their views, concerns and ideas about the impact of COVID-19 on their communities.

“We recognise this important contribution, and the interest it has generated, and will formally submit the final version to the minister next week, and publish it at the same time.”

Matthew Reed, chief executive at the Marie Curie charity for terminal illness care, said the delay in releasing the report could have cost lives and called for its immediate release.

“On 4 June, Marie Curie published a statement in response to the Public Health England report on the effect on Covid-19 on BAME people," he said. "We expressed disappointment and concern that the report only confirmed what we already knew and did not offer additional insight into the issue.

“To learn that full recommendations were available on 2 June but are still not available to the public for action, is alarming. Like others, we seek an explanation as to why the Government has failed to immediately publish the recommendations in full.

“Delaying recommendations and guidance could have cost lives and represents yet another failure to protect people who identify as BAME from the impact of Covid-19. Suppressing vital information is insulting to the communities that have been impacted disproportionately, to the 100 healthcare workers from BAME backgrounds who have died during the pandemic, and bereaved families and loved ones."