Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Justin Madders and Caroline Dinenage

Thursday 8th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)]

7. What assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of employment tribunal fees on access to justice for women.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities (Caroline Dinenage)]

The Government are undertaking a post-implementation review of the introduction of fees for employment tribunal proceedings. The review is considering, so far as possible, the impact fees have had on women and those with other protected characteristics, and the type of cases they bring. The Ministry of Justice will announce the conclusions of the review in due course.

[Justin Madders]

The Minister will surely be aware of the wealth of evidence submitted to the review that the number of tribunal claims has fallen by 80%. Only 1% of women discriminated against at work have brought a claim to tribunal. There is a whole raft of evidence suggesting that tribunal fees are denying women access to justice. Will she make representations to the Ministry of Justice?

[Caroline Dinenage]

There is no doubt that the number of tribunals has gone down, but in actual fact there is good news here, in the sense that people have been diverted from potentially acrimonious tribunal hearings and into mediation. ACAS has given people the opportunity to resolve their differences through conciliation, and that scheme was used by over 92,000 people last year.