Another Parliamentary enquiry that fails to collect data on sex, and this is about sourcing food during coronavirus!

[stumbledin]

Not wanting to perpetuate sexist stereotypes, but if the Government really wants to know how difficult or easy it has been to buy food etc., during the lockdown, you would think that part of collecting that info would also look at age, sex, race etc..

They also dont ask about how well the food parcels system is working, which as far as I know has not been well implemented. ie those on the most vulnerable list not getting any help at all, and surviving on the goodness of neighbours.

As someone suggested on facebook might have been better to hand the whole thing over to the WI or some other women's organisations that is used to working with / has links at grassroots level.

If interested in letting them know your experience this is the link. www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environment-food-and-rural-affairs-committee/news-parliament-2017/mps-launch-survey-coronavirus-chairs-comments-19-21/

It is a pathetically inadequate set of questions.

There are two boxes at the end are f the survey, and you could put comment in there.

If outsourced to a community it's group, I would rather see the charities supporting those in shielded group (who have been active in trying to sort out delivery slots) and longstanding community support groups taking the lead (not WI which has no particular remit, experience or expertise in this area)

But better done in the usual way for committees, I think. And nothing to stop,organisations contributing

They also dont ask about how well the food parcels system is working

That isn't correct. It asks if you have signed up for the food parcels system. If you answer "yes" additional questions appear about how effective it is.

There are also additional questions which appear if you answer "yes" about trying to sign up for a supermarket slot as a vulnerable person.

It is a pathetically inadequate set of questions

It isn't. Depending on how one answers each question the form generates extra questions.

If one's answers , as mine are, I'm shopping in person, have not attempted to register for parcels or as a vulnerable person and have not experienced any difficulties buying food, the form is very short.

Putting different answers in creates additional questions about difficulties and gathers additional information.

I put in the WI not as a supporter of them but more an expression of just how bad it has been.

And I take the point about existing groups being asked to coordinate with those they already work with, but I was thinking more about the fact that overall the Government just hasn't thought through the complexity of this. But have somehow thought that private companies would somehow respond and sort things out (a bit like PPE).

Also, much as I think many community groups do great work, they do also have a tendency to work in their own bubble, so that support would be patchy. And when local councils try to coordinate all sorts of long standing affiliations intervene. Or (and I am not saying this is true of all groups like this) Mutal Aid groups who seem to be part of some younger politics which for instance advise women experiencing DV at home NOT to call the police if in immediate danger (because they are the enemy!) spend a lot of time setting up apps that they love but in fact exclude the very people they claim the want to help.

So the reference to the WI was trying to think of a group that might have a more real world experience. Hence my issue with not asking the sex of those replying. And also age and race, and disability.

I didn't know about additional questions popping up. that's good.

I just we didn't have to go through these learning exercises after the event. Why are we never prepared.

Although of course the UK did do an exercise in 2016 which showed that we, and particularly the NHS, were not prepared for a pandemic. But then didn't do anything. Unlike other countries such as Switzerland, who did stock pile.

It should never have come to the first week when those with money and their own transport could just strip the supermarker shelves.