Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Equalities Policy

Wednesday 13 January 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial policies aim to broaden equality beyond protected characteristics to ensure every individual in Britain has fair life chances and access to public services.
  • The Government emphasizes Britain as a place where everyone, regardless of skin colour, sexuality, religion, or other factors, has access to opportunities and success.
  • Caste is not currently a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, and existing case law indicates caste discrimination may be covered under race provisions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Women & Equalities
Context

The question addresses the need for a broader approach to equality that goes beyond the current focus on protected characteristics.

Question

What steps she is taking to ensure that her policies take a broad approach to equality beyond a focus on protected characteristics. A very happy Lohri for the Dogra community, who are celebrating today. I agree completely with my right hon. Friend on the need to ensure that we move beyond the Equality Act 2010, but first we need to reform it.

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

I want to make sure that the equality agenda moves beyond just protected characteristics. Instead, we will make sure that we are focused on every individual in Britain having a fair chance in life and fair access to public services.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for reforming the Equality Act 2010 was not addressed.

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Q2 James Sunderland
Women & Equalities
Context

The question concerns reassurance that the Government will not bow to those suggesting white guilt or white privilege, and requests a commitment to write to other Government Departments to reinforce this stance.

Question

I really welcome the Government's agenda on women and equalities, and I commend my right hon. Friend for her outstanding leadership, but could I please also ask her to reassure me that we will never bow to those who suggest that white people should feel guilty for being white or to those who peddle the notion of white privilege? We are in this together, so will she please undertake today to write to other Government Departments to reinforce that?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

Britain is one of the best places in the world to live, no matter what a person's skin colour, sexuality, religion or anything else is. We need to be positively empowering people in Britain to succeed so that everyone has access to opportunity, and not using positive discrimination.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for writing letters to other Government Departments was not addressed.

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Q3 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Women & Equalities
Context

The question is related to the celebration of Lohri by the Dogra community and seeks reform of the Equality Act 2010, specifically the removal of caste as a protected characteristic.

Question

A very happy Lohri for the Dogra community, who are celebrating today. I agree completely with my right hon. Friend on the need to ensure that we move beyond the Equality Act 2010, but first we need to reform it. Will she bring forward proposals to remove caste as a protected characteristic from the Equality Act 2010, so that we can ensure that Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Muslim communities are not disadvantaged in our society?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. Caste is not a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010, and case law has already shown that a claim of caste discrimination could qualify for protection under the race provisions in the Act.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for removing caste as a protected characteristic was not addressed.

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