Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress her Department has made on (a) preventing discrimination in (i) agencies and (ii) small recruiters when hiring disabled applicants and (b) monitoring employers' compliance with the Equal Opportunities Act.

The Government is clear that equality and opportunity for all are at the heart of our programme of national renewal. The Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace, including in recruitment. Guidance has been published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Acas, to help employers - including agencies and small businesses - follow the law and for employees and applicants to understand their rights.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for monitoring compliance with the legislation and providing guidance on reasonable workplace adjustments. Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who meets the Act’s definition of a disabled person and who thinks that they have been discriminated against can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue, at an employment tribunal.