Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to tackle discrimination against people with children.

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for employers, public authorities or service providers to discriminate or harass a person because of or for reasons related to the protected characteristic of ‘sex’, or victimise them for bringing a complaint, in any of the areas covered by the Act. The prohibition on indirect discrimination may provide protection for parents – for example, it is unlawful discrimination for an employer to apply a provision, criterion or practice which puts women, who are more likely to have childcare responsibilities, at a particular disadvantage unless it can be justified.

However, as far as providing specific protection for parents under the Act - for example by making parenthood a protected characteristic – is concerned, my assessment is that a change of this sort to equality law would risk providing additional rights for some groups at the expense of others and should therefore be treated with caution as having a potentially divisive effect. We have no plans to do this.