James Naish

The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers - including those in the public sector - to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants who meet the Act’s definition of disability, to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues.

The reasonable adjustment duty on employers requires them to make adjustments to any element of a job, job application or interview process, whether on an anticipatory basis or at the request of the disabled person.

The failure of an employer to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled employee or job seeker, or discounting a job application simply because the applicant is disabled could amount to direct disability discrimination under the Act.

The Act recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of employers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another. This is because factors like the practicability and cost of making the reasonable adjustment, and the resources available to different employers will be different. It will therefore be for the courts to decide, in the event of a claim of alleged disability discrimination, and on a case-by-case basis, what reasonable adjustments should be made.

It is a matter for individual public sector employers as to how they ensure compliance with their legal obligations under the Act, but many will be subject to the Act’s Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which requires public authorities, and those carrying out public functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination (including on grounds of disability), advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people. The duty to have “due regard” obliges a public authority to consider the equality aims set out in the duty when exercising its functions, like taking decisions, and then to decide what weight to accord to them. Public authorities place themselves at greater legal risk if they do not interpret the law correctly.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website. and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. You can access the website here: http://www.acas.org.uk. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.

The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers - including those in the public sector - to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants who meet the Act’s definition of disability, to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues.

The reasonable adjustment duty on employers requires them to make adjustments to any element of a job, job application or interview process, whether on an anticipatory basis or at the request of the disabled person.

The failure of an employer to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled employee or job seeker, or discounting a job application simply because the applicant is disabled could amount to direct disability discrimination under the Act.

The Act recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of employers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another. This is because factors like the practicability and cost of making the reasonable adjustment, and the resources available to different employers will be different. It will therefore be for the courts to decide, in the event of a claim of alleged disability discrimination, and on a case-by-case basis, what reasonable adjustments should be made.

It is a matter for individual public sector employers as to how they ensure compliance with their legal obligations under the Act, but many will be subject to the Act’s Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which requires public authorities, and those carrying out public functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination (including on grounds of disability), advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people. The duty to have “due regard” obliges a public authority to consider the equality aims set out in the duty when exercising its functions, like taking decisions, and then to decide what weight to accord to them. Public authorities place themselves at greater legal risk if they do not interpret the law correctly.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website. and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. You can access the website here: http://www.acas.org.uk. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.

The UK Government is committed to tackling human rights abuses including modern slavery and human trafficking in public supply chains.

On 24 February 2025 the Procurement Act came into force, providing contracting authorities with stronger powers to exclude suppliers from public procurements where there is compelling evidence of modern slavery within their supply chains. Contracting authorities are encouraged to review a wide range of information on suppliers when seeking to determine whether an exclusion ground applies, including sanction lists.

The Act’s new debarment powers also enable us to take stronger and broader action in relation to supplier misconduct which we will use, where appropriate, to effectively hold organisations to account.

The Cabinet Office has, in addition, published extensive risk-based policy and guidance for commercial teams to tackle labour rights abuses in UK and global supply chains.

The purpose of the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) is to ensure that disabled candidates are given a fair opportunity to demonstrate their skills at interview. Of those who applied for a vacancy using the Civil Service Jobs website in the approximately five year period 2019-2024:

• c.13% of applicants applied under the DCS

• c.12% of candidates who were invited to interview had applied under DCS

• c.9% of applicants who were successful at interview had applied under DCS

The Department for Work and Pensions is continuing to explore whether any reforms to the criteria for DCS are needed.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service.

Anonymous CVs and name-blind recruitment, which are already used widely across the civil service, limit the impact that bias may have on recruitment, so that candidates are judged on the skills and experience they have outlined.

The Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027 outlines our commitment to having a Civil Service that reflects the composition of our society, attracting, retaining and investing in talent wherever it is found. This includes better socio-economic representation and investing in our young people.

We have recently launched a two year Careers Launch Apprenticeship scheme in Birmingham, Manchester and London, to support our young people. In addition, the Cabinet Office develops and supports Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) recruitment pathways across government. GFiE brings people who face barriers to employment into the Civil Service. There are over 20 GFiE pathways in place and over 3,600 people have joined the Civil Service through GFiE since 2018. These are just two of the ways in which we demonstrate our ambition regarding underrepresented backgrounds.

Diversity data is collected from candidates during the recruitment process and made available to departments to support their people strategies.

We are committed to having a Civil Service that reflects the composition of our society, attracting, retaining and investing in talent wherever it is found. This includes better socio-economic representation and investing in our young people. We have recently launched a two year Careers Launch Apprenticeship scheme in Birmingham, Manchester and London, to support our ambition.

We continue to monitor the diversity of our candidates and workforce to improve our recruitment in these areas and tackle barriers to employment.

The Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027 outlines our commitment to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Appointment to the Civil Service must be based on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

To support this, and reduce the potential for bias in the recruitment process, the Cabinet Office uses name-blind recruitment where applications are anonymised during sifting. Information on candidates' socio-economic background and race is collected for monitoring and reporting purposes, but hiring managers are not provided with access to this information for individual candidates.

The Cabinet Office also uses the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), ensuring disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a role are given a fair opportunity to demonstrate their skills at interview.

The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) is a separate statutory entity independent of Government. The PCA completed its first investigation, into Star Pubs, in 2020, resulting in a penalty of £1.25m. The PCA launched an investigation into Stonegate Pubs in July 2026, which is ongoing. The PCA publishes information about its investigations on its website and in its Annual Report & Accounts.

The Department has regular dialogue with the PCA across the range of the PCA's responsibilities.

The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) is a separate statutory entity independent of Government. The PCA completed its first investigation, into Star Pubs, in 2020, resulting in a penalty of £1.25m. The PCA launched an investigation into Stonegate Pubs in July 2026, which is ongoing. The PCA publishes information about its investigations on its website and in its Annual Report & Accounts.

The Department has regular dialogue with the PCA across the range of the PCA's responsibilities.

The UK, to date, has commissioned three studies related to the impacts of satellite brightness and potential mitigations. The findings from these studies, alongside discussions in international forums such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), help inform policy discussions on how to successfully address the balance between accessing vital services in space and minimising the impact on scientific research and the environment.

The Prime Minister has been clear that Jodrell Bank has a secure future. It will continue to host world-leading scientific research led by the University of Manchester, alongside serving as the headquarters of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory. Operational decisions relating to e-MERLIN sit with the University of Manchester, which has indicated that it is exploring a range of potential alternative funding streams beyond 2028. The Government is also working with partners to ensure Jodrell Bank continues to thrive for generations to come, including for heritage and educational purposes, ensuring tens of thousands of adults and children alike can be inspired by visits to the site.

Jodrell Bank Observatory is not closing and remains an important UK science asset. The Prime Minister has been clear that Jodrell Bank has a secure future. It will continue to host world-leading scientific research led by the University of Manchester, alongside serving as the headquarters of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory. The Government is working with partners to ensure Jodrell Bank continues to thrive for generations to come, including for heritage and educational purposes, ensuring tens of thousands of adults and children alike can be inspired by visits to the site.

Jodrell Bank Observatory is not closing and remains an important UK science asset. The Prime Minister has been clear that Jodrell Bank has a secure future. It will continue to host world-leading scientific research led by the University of Manchester, alongside serving as the headquarters of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory. The Government is working with partners to ensure Jodrell Bank continues to thrive for generations to come, including for heritage and educational purposes, ensuring tens of thousands of adults and children alike can be inspired by visits to the site.

The UK’s Space Domain Awareness capability is provided by the National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC). It uses data from UK sensors, commercial providers, and international partners to protect UK interests from space related threats, risks and hazards. NSpOC does not currently, nor are there any plans to, use data from Jodrell Bank Observatory.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade is investing £85m during this Spending Review period to enhance the UK’s space domain awareness capabilities.

To maintain the UK's long-term capability in radio astronomy, the Government is investing in the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, with £327 million committed between 2021 and 2030.

The Department has not had any recent discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on access to retail data for small businesses and app developers seeking to build consumer-facing tools.

As the UK's principal competition authority, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has powers to address competition problems, including in digital markets. The CMA is operationally independent of the Government and decides which issues to investigate.

The Government is committed to ensuring that consumers can shop online with confidence. Consumers making purchases online benefit from a 14-day cancellation period. We have strengthened enforcement through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which provides the Competition and Markets Authority with stronger powers to tackle breaches of consumer law.

Trading Standards services are provided by local authorities and supported nationally by National Trading Standards. The Government confirmed last week longer term plans to overhaul the wider consumer protection landscape. This will examine how organisations like Citizens Advice and Trading Standards can work more effectively with regulators, enforcement bodies and redress schemes so that harmful practices are addressed more quickly, and consumers can access support more easily.

The Government is committed to ensuring that consumers can shop online with confidence. Consumers making purchases online benefit from a 14-day cancellation period. We have strengthened enforcement through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which provides the Competition and Markets Authority with stronger powers to tackle breaches of consumer law.

Trading Standards services are provided by local authorities and supported nationally by National Trading Standards. The Government confirmed last week longer term plans to overhaul the wider consumer protection landscape. This will examine how organisations like Citizens Advice and Trading Standards can work more effectively with regulators, enforcement bodies and redress schemes so that harmful practices are addressed more quickly, and consumers can access support more easily.

The Government is committed to ensuring that consumers can shop online with confidence. Consumers making purchases online benefit from a 14-day cancellation period. We have strengthened enforcement through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which provides the Competition and Markets Authority with stronger powers to tackle breaches of consumer law.

Trading Standards services are provided by local authorities and supported nationally by National Trading Standards. The Government confirmed last week longer term plans to overhaul the wider consumer protection landscape. This will examine how organisations like Citizens Advice and Trading Standards can work more effectively with regulators, enforcement bodies and redress schemes so that harmful practices are addressed more quickly, and consumers can access support more easily.

The Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) has not assessed the availability of stable application programming interfaces (“APIs”) from major supermarkets for third-party developers.

In 2023 and 2024, the CMA reviewed competition in the groceries sector and found no widespread evidence of weak competition. As part of this work, the CMA did identify issues with grocery retailers’ unit pricing practices that could affect shoppers’ ability to compare products and recommended changes to the Price Marking Order 2004. The UK government subsequently implemented reforms to unit pricing in April 2026.

As the UK’s principal competition authority, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has powers to address competition problems, including in digital markets. The CMA is operationally independent of the Government and decides which issues to investigate.

The UK Government engages internationally through a range of fora, including the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, to help develop guidelines and governance structures that meet the needs of the modern space age. This work includes international engagement on matters such as sustainability and the protection of dark and quiet skies for astronomy and scientific observation.

The Government recognises that small AI developers can face particular challenges in accessing data lawfully and affordably, including from third-party websites. The Report on Copyright and AI, published in March 2026, considered evidence from across the AI and creative sectors on these issues, and heard directly from SME representatives about the disproportionate impact of legal uncertainty and licensing costs on smaller developers. We are supporting market-led approaches to data licensing and technical standards, and will keep their effectiveness under review, including their impact on SMEs. The Government’s Plan for Small Businesses, published in July 2025, sets out the measures that the Government is taking to support small businesses across the UK. This includes tackling late payments, boosting access to finance, and removing red tape.

The ONS collect evidence on employment outcomes by gender identity via the Census for England and Wales. We want all citizens, regardless of who they are, to be able to thrive and succeed in the labour market. By introducing the Employment Rights Act 2025, we will deliver more inclusive growth, ensuring economic growth is felt by working people in every part of the UK and supporting a fairer, more resilient labour market.

My Department is monitoring the situation, and is in regular contact with stakeholders, including through our partnership with the Construction Leadership Council, which I co-chair.

The Construction Leadership Council’s Material’s Supply Chain Group, in March 2026, noted the main disruption to the sector from the Middle East crisis is the rapid rise in energy prices and their immediate impact on material costs, particularly for products with energy-intensive manufacturing processes or derived from oil-based raw materials.

Ministers are being kept updated on the supply chain disruption (and impacts) as part of our cross Whitehall monitoring.

My Department is monitoring the situation, and is in regular contact with stakeholders, including through our partnership with the Construction Leadership Council, which I co-chair.

The Construction Leadership Council’s Material’s Supply Chain Group, in March 2026, noted the main disruption to the sector from the Middle East crisis is the rapid rise in energy prices and their immediate impact on material costs, particularly for products with energy-intensive manufacturing processes or derived from oil-based raw materials.

Ministers are being kept updated on the supply chain disruption (and impacts) as part of our cross Whitehall monitoring.

The Government continues to highlight concerns about the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong in public statements, and monitors associated risks through wider human‑rights and supply‑chain due‑diligence policies. UK businesses are guided by NCSC supply‑chain security principles to identify and manage risks in complex supply chains. The UK operates a comprehensive regulatory framework for strategic export controls, which prevents the export of goods where there is a risk to domestic security, international security, or human rights.

Reports of mistreatment in Hong Kong’s prisons are deeply concerning. The Government continues to express serious concerns about the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including the implications of recent national security measures, and monitors associated human‑rights risks as part of its wider policy approach. The UK regularly reviews its Overseas Business Risk information for UK businesses trading overseas, which makes clear to UK companies the risks of operating in certain regions and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence when making business decisions.

The Government’s Parental Leave and Pay Review will conclude in early 2027 with a set of findings which outline next steps for implementing any reforms.

In addition to considering, all current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements, the Review is considering the needs of other working families who do not qualify for existing leave and pay entitlements, such as kinship carers.

The Government is also supporting kinship carers through other mechanisms and has recently launched a kinship pilot to support up to 5,000 kinship families by paying eligible carers an allowance equivalent to the Fostering National Minimum Allowance.

The government is committed to ensuring pregnancy and maternity protections are effective and enforceable.

We recently consulted on legislation to make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on Maternity Leave, and for at least six months after they return to work, except in specific circumstances. We sought ideas to improve awareness of workplace rights, so pregnant employees feel confident to challenge unlawful treatment and hold employers to account.

To strengthen enforcement, we are also extending the Employment Tribunal time limit from three to six months, giving pregnant women more time to bring claims.

The Department keeps employment rights and enforcement mechanisms under regular review.

Discrimination in the workplace is unlawful, and robust penalties already exist under the Equality Act 2010 for employers who breach these obligations. We will continue to assess whether the current framework provides an effective deterrent, including the potential merits of enhanced enforcement models—such as Fair Work Agency measures—to support fair treatment in workplaces and strengthen compliance.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Business and Trade, provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website (http://www.acas.org.uk) and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. ACAS also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve or settle their workplace dispute without going to court.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider.

In November, I met the CEOs of Royal Mail and International Distribution Services and raised concerns about Royal Mail’s performance. They reported continued targeted action to improve reliability. I will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if quality of service does not improve.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and implement a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.