Data collection and recording – Welsh Government assessment

The Welsh Government publishes and analyses some data by protected characteristic, although significant data gaps remain. Overall data gaps and limited disaggregated data make it difficult to assess the impact of Welsh Government policies, or how policies have affected particular groups. However, the Welsh Government has taken some steps to begin to address data gaps identified by UN treaty bodies. Commitments to introduce an equality data unit and a race disparity unit are encouraging, and work to monitor and assess the implementation of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 should continue to improve disaggregated data across a range of issues.

• In its annual Wellbeing of Wales report, the Welsh Government presents its progress towards the seven wellbeing goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. These annual wellbeing reports consider progress against 46 national indicators and analyse data by seven protected characteristics as well as socio-economic disadvantage. Gender reassignment and pregnancy and maternity are not included.
• Figures from 2017 to 2019 estimated the number of people with different protected characteristics living in areas within each Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation grouping – a measure of deprivation by small local areas across Wales.
• In 2018, we identified a lack of data in particular policy areas in Wales in relation to the protected characteristics of sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, and pregnancy and maternity, resulting in limited evidence on how Welsh Government policies have affected these particular groups.
• We have identified a lack of data in particular policy areas in Wales. For example:
  • There is currently no public data available on unfair treatment, bullying and harassment in workplaces.
  • There is a lack of disaggregated data on health outcomes and no recent evidence on health outcomes for transgender people, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and Gypsies, Roma and Travellers.
  • There is no regularly collected data on the proportion of Welsh Parliament members who are disabled, from ethnic minorities, or lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
• The Welsh Government has taken steps to begin to address some, but not all, data gaps identified by UN treaty bodies.
  • The Welsh Government is undertaking some work to address data gaps in relation to sexual violence and gender-based violence, including proposals to improve data collection and evaluation of perpetrator services.
  • In 2016–17, the Welsh Government committed to piloting a data-sharing protocol across the criminal justice system to aid work with offenders of specific hate crimes; however, there is no evidence of progress or evaluation of this pilot.
  • Despite commitments in 2017, the Welsh Government is yet to establish a data collection and reporting system to provide better information about unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Wales.
  • Following criticism from the Board of Community Health Councils in Wales, referrals and waiting times data is now collected and published for local primary mental health support services and specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).