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ICF Consulting Services: Equality

Asked by Mike WoodConservativeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 1 July 2026UIN 9023

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the answer of 27 April 2026 to Question 126609 on ICF Consulting Services: Equality, whether biological men who are non-binary are counted towards the KPI; and what was the policy purpose of a KPI target for contractors on the number of non-binary staff.

Answered by Stephen Morgan

All non-binary individuals are counted in the KPI.

The KPI referenced in Defra’s contract with ICF does not mandate that 50% or more of professional staff within the core team for service orders be female or non-binary, nor does it set any minimum staffing thresholds. The rationale for measuring this aligns with Defra’s aspirations to use its procurement activities to support broader diversity and inclusion goals in its supply chains.

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