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938664

registered interest
date	11/07/2018
answering body	Women and Equalities
answering dept id	31
answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Government’s response to the Taylor Review, published on 7 February 2018, when his Department plans to update the pregnancy and maternity discrimination pages on gov.uk.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	163132
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2018 answer text <p>In response to the Matthew Taylor review, we are working to improve the advice and guidance that is available on pregnancy and maternity rights and obligations.</p><p> </p><p>The review of the guidance on gov.uk is currently underway and we will provide an update in due course.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 20/07/2018 09:16:15 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

927849

registered interest
date	20/06/2018
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to tackle maternity discrimination.
tabling member constituency	Swansea East
tabling member printed	Carolyn Harris
uin	155868
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2018 answer text <p>The law is absolutely clear that pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace is unlawful. Government is tackling pregnancy and maternity discrimination in several ways.</p><p> </p><p>Firstly, Government is working to increase awareness of individuals’ rights and employers’ obligations. We have made steady progress.</p><p> </p><p>- ACAS published updated guidance in November, so that women and employers understand their rights and obligations better. Government also continues to support the Equality &amp; Human Rights Commission’s Working Forward campaign on pregnancy and maternity discrimination.</p><p> </p><p>- The MAT B1 form (the form which enables a pregnant woman to claim Statutory Maternity Pay from her employer or Maternity Allowance from Jobcentre Plus) has recently been updated to include a link to advice and guidance on employment rights for pregnant women and new mothers.</p><p> </p><p>- The Government’s response to the Taylor Review of modern working practices committed to update and consolidate the pregnancy and maternity discrimination pages on GOV.UK by summer 2018.</p><p> </p><p>Secondly, the Government has committed to review the legislation relating to redundancy protection and consider whether this is sufficient. This review is underway.</p><p> </p><p>Thirdly, in terms of monitoring and enforcement, Government continues to fund both the ACAS helpline and the Equality Advisory and Support Service, which provide free advice in this area. Government will also monitor others’ findings (such as the recent EHRC work poll on employer attitudes) for any signs that interventions are starting to have an impact or changes in employers’ practices.</p> answering member constituency Burton answering member printed Andrew Griffiths question first answered 28/06/2018 11:29:27 answering member 3936 label Biography information for Andrew Griffiths
tabling member	4480 label Biography information for Carolyn Harris

926906

registered interest
date	19/06/2018
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate the Government has made of the number of women who could be experiencing discrimination at work whilst (a) pregnant, (b) on maternity leave and (c) returning from maternity leave; and what plans the Government has to regularly update those figures.
tabling member constituency	Basingstoke
tabling member printed	Mrs Maria Miller
uin	155214
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2018 answer text <p>In 2016 EHRC published the findings of a substantial research programme (commissioned jointly with the then Department for Business Innovation and Skills) based on interviews with 3,034 employers and 3,254 mothers. This found that around one in nine mothers reported that they were either dismissed; made compulsorily redundant, where others in their workplace were not; or treated so poorly they felt they had to leave their job.</p><p> </p><p>The next estimate will be in 2020 to allow time for the current package of interventions to take effect. ln the interim Government will monitor others’ findings (such as the recent EHRC poll on employer attitudes) for any signs that the interventions are starting to have an impact or of changes in employers’ practices.</p> answering member constituency Burton answering member printed Andrew Griffiths question first answered 25/06/2018 14:02:47 answering member 3936 label Biography information for Andrew Griffiths
tabling member	1480 label Biography information for Dame Maria Miller

837340

registered interest
date	05/02/2018
answering body	Women and Equalities
answering dept id	31
answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she has taken in response to recommendations by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on women taking pregnancy and maternity discrimination cases against their employers to a tribunal.
tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
uin	126459
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2018 answer text <p>Anyone who believes that they have faced discrimination in employment because of pregnancy and maternity is entitled to bring a claim for discrimination in an Employment Tribunal. The report of research undertaken by the then Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the EHRC into pregnancy and maternity related discrimination and disadvantage, published in 2015-16, made two recommendations intended to help women take pregnancy and maternity discrimination cases to an Employment Tribunal:</p><p> </p><ul><li>in light of the findings of the review, make changes to the Employment Tribunal fee system to ensure that fees are not a barrier to accessing justice for women experiencing pregnancy and maternity discrimination, and</li><li>consider increasing the time limit for a woman to bring an Employment Tribunal claim in cases involving pregnancy and maternity discrimination from three to six months, in line with other employment claims such as redundancy and equal pay.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Fees for bringing a claim before an Employment Tribunal have now been withdrawn, following the case of <em>R (on the application of Unison) v Lord Chancellor</em> on Employment Tribunals fees. We immediately stopped charging fees in Employment Tribunals after the Supreme Court judgment and said we would refund those who had paid fees. The full refund scheme was launched on 15 November.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Tribunal rules already allow the time limit to bring a claim be extended where it is just and equitable to do so. Government has asked H.M. Court and Tribunal Service to consider the scope for collecting data on the number of requests made for extensions and the types of cases involved. The Government will consider the results of any exercise carefully to see if any further action is required.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 22/02/2018 16:50:27 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

772363

registered interest
date	17/10/2017
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government response to the First Report of the Women and Equalities Committee of Session 2016-17, Pregnancy and maternity discrimination, published on 26 January 2017, Cm 9401, when he plans to implement the Government's commitment to bring forward proposals to ensure that those protections in place for women who are pregnant or returning from maternity leave are sufficient.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Jo Swinson
uin	108107
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2017 answer text <p>Protection already exists through the Maternity and Parental Leave etc Regulations 1999. Where redundancy means that it is not practicable to continue to employ a woman on maternity leave under an existing contract, Regulation 10 requires an employer to offer appropriate alternative employment on terms which are not substantially less favourable. We are considering the implications of extending this right into the period when a new mother returns to work and into the period while she is pregnant and at work. In terms of initial consultation, we have also sought the views of the Alliance for Maternity Rights on other potential proposals.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 20/10/2017 13:52:15 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
tabling member	1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson

767929

registered interest
date	10/10/2017
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what if any proposals they have to provide new and expectant mothers with further protections from redundancy; and whether they have any plans to address the use of confidentiality agreements in out of court settlements which prevent women from speaking publicly about their treatment.
tabling member printed	Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL1848
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2017 answer text <p>The Government’s response to Women and Equalities Select Committee Inquiry into pregnancy and maternity discrimination earlier this year said that we “will consider further and bring forward proposals to ensure that the protections in place for those who are pregnant or returning from maternity leave are sufficient”. We are reviewing whether we need stronger protection against redundancy for pregnant women and women returning from maternity leave and will consult on options in due course.</p><p>The Government has no plans to address the use of confidentiality agreements. Employees and employers need the freedom to reach a mutually acceptable negotiated settlement, so the Government does not want to impose further constraints on the provisions of settlement agreements.</p> answering member printed Lord Prior of Brampton question first answered 17/10/2017 15:30:25 answering member 127 label Biography information for Lord Prior of Brampton
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

732967

registered interest
date	27/06/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve access to justice for women who have experienced maternity and pregnancy discrimination; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Bridgend
tabling member printed	Mrs Madeleine Moon
uin	1277
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2017 answer text <p>Publicly funded advice continues to be available for Employment Tribunal discrimination claims, and publicly funded advice and representation is available in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. This includes funding for new and expectant mothers who may have experienced discrimination.</p><p>The Government’s reforms to the scope of civil legal aid were designed to refocus funding on those who need it most and for the most serious cases in which legal advice and representation are justified.</p><p>We have specifically protected legal aid (both for initial advice and representation), subject to the statutory means and merits tests, for civil legal services provided in relation to contravention of the Equality Act 2010.</p> answering member constituency Esher and Walton answering member printed Dominic Raab question first answered 05/07/2017 15:54:34 answering member 4007 label Biography information for Dominic Raab
tabling member	1490 label Biography information for Mrs Madeleine Moon

723068

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of maternity and pregnancy discrimination-related claims in the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Bridgend
tabling member printed	Mrs Madeleine Moon
uin	71448
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2017 answer text <p>Information on the number of complaints of pregnancy and maternity related discrimination in the Employment Tribunals is published in the MoJ statistical bulletin, “Tribunals and gender recognition statistics quarterly”. The latest bulletin, for the quarter October to December 2016, is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2016" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2016</a></p> answering member constituency North East Hertfordshire answering member printed Sir Oliver Heald question first answered 25/04/2017 14:38:42 answering member 69 label Biography information for Sir Oliver Heald
tabling member	1490 label Biography information for Mrs Madeleine Moon

715124

registered interest
date	29/03/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps she has taken to reduce barriers experienced by pregnant women in accessing justice; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Ogmore
tabling member printed	Chris Elmore
uin	69682
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2017 answer text <p>The Government’s reforms to the scope of civil legal aid were designed to refocus funding on those who need it most and for the most serious cases in which legal advice and representation was justified.</p><p> </p><p>We have specifically protected legal aid (both for initial advice and representation), subject to the statutory means and merits tests, for civil legal services provided in relation to contravention of the Equality Act 2010. Publicly funded advice continues to be available for Employment Tribunal discrimination claims, and publicly funded advice and representation is available in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. This therefore includes funding for new and expectant mothers who may have experienced discrimination.</p> answering member constituency North East Hertfordshire answering member printed Sir Oliver Heald question first answered 18/04/2017 11:04:12 answering member 69 label Biography information for Sir Oliver Heald
tabling member	4572 label Biography information for Chris Elmore

714651

registered interest
date	28/03/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Pregnancy: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential obstacles faced by pregnant women in accessing justice; and what steps she plans to take to remove such obstacles.
tabling member constituency	Ogmore
tabling member printed	Chris Elmore
uin	69379
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2017 answer text <p>The Government’s reforms to the scope of civil legal aid were designed to refocus funding on those who need it most and for the most serious cases in which legal advice and representation was justified.</p><p> </p><p>We have specifically protected legal aid (both for initial advice and representation), subject to the statutory means and merits tests, for civil legal services provided in relation to contravention of the Equality Act 2010. Publicly funded advice continues to be available for Employment Tribunal discrimination claims, and publicly funded advice and representation is available in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. This therefore includes funding for new and expectant mothers who may have experienced discrimination.</p> answering member constituency North East Hertfordshire answering member printed Sir Oliver Heald question first answered 05/04/2017 10:44:06 answering member 69 label Biography information for Sir Oliver Heald
tabling member	4572 label Biography information for Chris Elmore