The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) provides for protection of disabled people, including those needing assistance dogs, in employment and the supply of goods, services, public functions and in clubs and associations. It does not have universal application to the public, or in other settings, and general public education campaigns about it would not be proportionate. However, the Government runs under contract the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS), an equalities and human rights helpline, which receives about 35,000 customer contacts a year, more than 60% of which concern disability issues. The EASS can intervene directly with or assist the complainant to take the problem up with the relevant service provider in many cases, including those involving assistance dogs.

It is the responsibility of all businesses to ensure that they are aware of their obligations to their customers and employees under the Act. To help them in this, Government and relevant independent bodies offer a range of technical guidance and statutory codes of practice that clearly explain what businesses should and should not do to ensure that their conduct is lawful and not discriminatory.

The Act places a duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve disabled people’s access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. This reasonable adjustment duty is an anticipatory duty therefore those who provide goods, facilities and services to members of the public are expected to anticipate the reasonable adjustments that disabled customers may require, including auxiliary aids.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the public body responsible for enforcing the Act. In 2017, the EHRC published two pieces of guidance - a guide to help businesses understand what they can do to meet their legal duties to assistance dog owners, and a guide to help tourism businesses welcome people with access requirements. The EHRC supports disabled individuals who have experienced discrimination to take their cases to court.

In recent years, case law has strengthened the equalities law for people with assistance dogs. There have been a number of significant cases brought under the Equality Act involving assistance dogs, which have been successfully litigated, for example, Bloch v Kassim (assistance dogs in taxis); Clutton and Williams v Pen-y-Bryn Group (assistance dogs in restaurants); and McCafferty v Miah (assistance dogs in shops).

I refer the Noble Lord to my previous answer to question HL1125 of 4 July 2022.

In December 2020 the Minister for Women and Equalities set out a new approach to tackling inequality, including in relation to gender. This involves moving beyond the previous roadmap and narrow focus of protected characteristics; and reflects the new expanded remit of the Equality Hub.

Since then, the Hub has been concentrating on improving the quality of evidence and data about disparities and the types of barriers different people face. This evidence is enabling us to support the development of policy across government to make the UK a fairer place to live and work.

There is growing evidence to show that when salary information is not transparent, it has an impact on how people, particularly women and those from ethnic minorities, negotiate pay. This can ultimately result in lower starting salaries and smaller pay rises.

On International Women’s Day this year, we called on all employers to provide salary information in all of their job adverts, and to stop asking about previous salary during recruitment.

In order to encourage and assist employers in taking these steps, we will build the evidence base on the impact of transparency, through a pilot study with businesses. We will also work with employers to develop a methodology to support them to adopt these measures.

As a country with a proud history on LGBT equality, and with one of the world’s most comprehensive and robust legislative frameworks, the UK Government continues to be a leading funder of work to protect LGBT rights.

The Government has provided over £6 million in funding to prevent and respond to bullying in schools, including LGBT-related bullying, of which £1 million was announced this year. The Government continues to invest in relevant healthcare, including over £20 million to deliver the HIV Action Plan with the goal of eradicating new transmissions in the UK by 2030. We are providing up to £360,000 for the new conversion practices support service; have extended funding for the existing LGBT domestic abuse helpline with an uplift of £80,000 for 2022/23; and last year we provided £2 million for specialist ‘by and for’ victim support organisations, including LGBT victim services.

Internationally, in June, we announced a further £2.7 million to support human rights defenders and advance equalities and freedom across the Commonwealth. Since taking over as Chair-In-Office in 2018, the Government has invested over £11 million in the promotion and protection of LGBT rights across the Commonwealth.

This consultation will end on 18 August, after which analysis of the responses will take a number of weeks, and then regulations needed prior to commencement will be prepared. I would expect commencement of the legislation on or after October 2023, given the time required for the regulations and issue of guidance for landlords, tenants and other involved parties.

Such actions would be concerning and potentially unlawful. The Equality Act 2010 provides that it is unlawful age discrimination for a service provider such as a car hire company to refuse, on age grounds, to lease a vehicle to an otherwise qualified person, unless the company can objectively justify its decision.

Where a company cannot, in those circumstances, show that their leasing policy is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, the affected person can bring a case to the County Court, or Sheriff’s Court in Scotland. The court can then determine whether the “objective justification test” has been satisfied, and may award costs and compensation where the individual wins their case. A range of guidance is available to service providers on their obligations and to service users on their rights, most notably on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s website, but also through the Equality and Advisory and Support Service (EASS). The EASS can be contacted via its website - http://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com, or it can be contacted by telephone on 0808 800 0082 (or by text phone on 0808 800 0084).

Ministers considered a range of factors when deciding whether to nominate an independent candidate for election to the CEDAW Committee, including the time and resources to mount a campaign, the potential benefits and the impact on other international elections. Following analysis of these factors Ministers decided not to nominate candidate for the 2022 election.

On 9 June 2022, the Government launched the consultation on the implementation and commencement of the remaining parts of Section 36 of the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) and its associated schedules. When commenced, these will place a duty on landlords to make or facilitate reasonable adjustments to the common parts of residential property, where a disabled resident requests this, in England and Wales. The consultation lasts until 18 August.

The consultation is available in a range of accessible formats at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-disabled-peoples-access-to-let-residential-premises-reasonable-adjustments-to-common-parts-a-new-duty

The UK strongly supports the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and it is committed to advancing women’s rights. We are committed to the CEDAW process and regularly engage with the UN and the Committee. Ministers consider a range of factors when deciding whether to nominate an independent candidate for election to an international body such as the CEDAW Committee, including the time and resources to mount a campaign, the potential benefits and the impact on other international elections. The Government will decide whether to nominate a candidate for the 2024 election closer to the time, taking these factors into account once again.

There is growing evidence to show that, when pay is negotiable, asking applicants to disclose previous earnings and not including salary information in the advert increases the risk that historic disparities will be replicated.

On International Women’s Day this year, we called on all employers to provide salary information in all of their job adverts, and to stop asking about previous salary during recruitment.

We recognise that some employers may find it challenging to take these steps, due to historic pay decisions and lack of clarity in pay processes. That is why we also announced that we will work with employers to develop and pilot a methodology to support them to adopt these measures.

The next election for members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women will take place later this month. The Government has not put forward a candidate. The election after this will be in 2024 and the Government will decide nearer the time whether to nominate a candidate.

A full review of Part M of the Building Regulations is underway, relating to access to, and use of, buildings. It includes a research programme on the prevalence and demographics of impairment in England and ergonomic requirements of wheelchair users and experiences of disabled people. Evidence gathered will help government consider what changes can be made, including updates to statutory guidance. At present however, no change in the Equality Act 2010 of the sort mentioned in my Noble Friend’s question is envisaged. For service providers the reasonable adjustment duty in the Act is of course anticipatory, which means that those who provide services to members of the public are expected to anticipate the reasonable adjustments that disabled customers may require to ensure the disabled person does not experience a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled counterparts.

A full review of Part M of the Building Regulations is underway, relating to access to, and use of, buildings. It includes a research programme on the prevalence and demographics of impairment in England and ergonomic requirements of wheelchair users and experiences of disabled people. Evidence gathered will help government consider what changes can be made, including updates to statutory guidance. At present however, no change in the Equality Act 2010 of the sort mentioned in my Noble Friend’s question is envisaged. For service providers the reasonable adjustment duty in the Act is of course anticipatory, which means that those who provide services to members of the public are expected to anticipate the reasonable adjustments that disabled customers may require to ensure the disabled person does not experience a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled counterparts.

While the Government recognises the personal challenges faced by people with addictions or dependencies such as alcohol, we subscribe to the view of successive Governments since the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, that it is not appropriate to give such conditions protected status under discrimination law. Alcohol addiction or dependency therefore remains specifically excluded from the Act’s definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010.

Addiction and dependency can however sometimes cause a disability – for example lung or kidney failure – or be the result of a disability, for example a mental health condition. Where the addiction arises due to medically prescribed drugs or other medical treatment – for example an individual who has an addiction to painkillers because they are prescribed following an accident or surgery – protection may also be available under the Act. We believe that this offers the right balance between protecting individuals on the one hand and employers and service providers on the other.

There is a strong programme of work underway to address alcohol-related health harms and disparities, including an ambitious programme to establish specialist Alcohol Care Teams in hospitals and support children of alcohol dependent parents. The focus of the newly established Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is on improving the nation’s health and levelling up health disparities. This includes tackling alcohol-related health harms.

While the Government recognises the personal challenges faced by people with addictions or dependencies such as alcohol, we subscribe to the view of successive Governments since the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, that it is not appropriate to give such conditions protected status under discrimination law. Alcohol addiction or dependency therefore remains specifically excluded from the Act’s definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010.

Addiction and dependency can however sometimes cause a disability – for example lung or kidney failure – or be the result of a disability, for example a mental health condition. Where the addiction arises due to medically prescribed drugs or other medical treatment – for example an individual who has an addiction to painkillers because they are prescribed following an accident or surgery – protection may also be available under the Act. We believe that this offers the right balance between protecting individuals on the one hand and employers and service providers on the other.

There is a strong programme of work underway to address alcohol-related health harms and disparities, including an ambitious programme to establish specialist Alcohol Care Teams in hospitals and support children of alcohol dependent parents. The focus of the newly established Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is on improving the nation’s health and levelling up health disparities. This includes tackling alcohol-related health harms.

Period poverty is an issue the government takes very seriously and has taken a number of steps to address the problem.

Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. Additionally, from 1 January 2021, the ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished - with a zero rate of VAT applying to all period products. Prior to the abolition of the tax, a Tampon Tax fund was in place to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on period products, to projects which improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. A final round of £11.25 million in grant funding was awarded in November 2021 to distribute the VAT collected on period products in the final nine months of the 2020/21 financial year, before the tax ended.

As well as these steps, in 2019, NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them and the Home Office changed the law to ensure that all people in custody are provided with health and hygiene products for free, to include period products.

In March 2020, in light of COVID-19, the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused to free up resources to focus on the pandemic. Further announcements on the plans and the work of the Taskforce will be made in due course.

Period poverty is an issue the government takes very seriously and has taken a number of steps to address the problem.

Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. Additionally, from 1 January 2021, the ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished - with a zero rate of VAT applying to all period products. Prior to the abolition of the tax, a Tampon Tax fund was in place to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on period products, to projects which improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. A final round of £11.25 million in grant funding was awarded in November 2021 to distribute the VAT collected on period products in the final nine months of the 2020/21 financial year, before the tax ended.

As well as these steps, in 2019, NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them and the Home Office changed the law to ensure that all people in custody are provided with health and hygiene products for free, to include period products.

In March 2020, in light of COVID-19, the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused to free up resources to focus on the pandemic. Further announcements on the plans and the work of the Taskforce will be made in due course.

Period poverty is an issue the government takes very seriously and has taken a number of steps to address the problem.

Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. Additionally, from 1 January 2021, the ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished - with a zero rate of VAT applying to all period products. Prior to the abolition of the tax, a Tampon Tax fund was in place to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on period products, to projects which improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. A final round of £11.25 million in grant funding was awarded in November 2021 to distribute the VAT collected on period products in the final nine months of the 2020/21 financial year, before the tax ended.

As well as these steps, in 2019, NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them and the Home Office changed the law to ensure that all people in custody are provided with health and hygiene products for free, to include period products.

In March 2020, in light of COVID-19, the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused to free up resources to focus on the pandemic. Further announcements on the plans and the work of the Taskforce will be made in due course.

Period poverty is an issue the government takes very seriously and has taken a number of steps to address the problem.

Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. Additionally, from 1 January 2021, the ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished - with a zero rate of VAT applying to all period products. Prior to the abolition of the tax, a Tampon Tax fund was in place to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on period products, to projects which improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. A final round of £11.25 million in grant funding was awarded in November 2021 to distribute the VAT collected on period products in the final nine months of the 2020/21 financial year, before the tax ended.

As well as these steps, in 2019, NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them and the Home Office changed the law to ensure that all people in custody are provided with health and hygiene products for free, to include period products.

In March 2020, in light of COVID-19, the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused to free up resources to focus on the pandemic. Further announcements on the plans and the work of the Taskforce will be made in due course.