Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Equalities Act 2010 so that the provisions of that Act on the public sector equality duty apply to Parliament and to hon. Members.

As the honourable Member notes, the functions of Parliament are currently exempt from the Public Sector Equality Duty. Making the functions of Parliament and of individual Members subject to the duty would make Parliamentary functions subject to compliance requirements by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the control of the Courts, raising constitutional questions.

Ministers of the Crown, when formulating policy, are acting as part of the Government and are therefore subject to the duty, as are Government Departments when preparing the policies behind primary legislation.

The Government has no plans to change this position.