Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what impact assessments have been conducted by the Government on the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the disabled community as a protected characteristic.
Answered by Robin Walker
During the passage of the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 in the Commons the Government committed to providing a statement about the impact of all EU exit bills on equalities legislation (which includes provisions on disability as a protected characteristic). The Government’s commitment requires the relevant Minister to make and publish a statement for each EU exit bill indicating:
a. whether the bill amends, repeals or revokes any part of the Equality Acts 2006 or 2010 or any secondary legislation made under those Acts and, if it does make such changes, an explanation of the effect of each change; and
b. that in relation to the policy which is given effect by the Bill, the relevant Minister “has had due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010.”
c. The Government will be making such a statement in respect of the WAB (which will be set out in the Explanatory Notes accompanying the Bill on its introduction); and this analysis has been carried out to inform decision-making on the Withdrawal Agreement and as preparation for the equality statement.
The UK Government is committed to ensuring that there is no regression inequalities as we leave the EU. The Equality Act 2010 sets out wide-ranging equalities protections, and incorporates virtually all existing EU equalities law and Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) case law. In some areas, domestic legislation goes further than EU requirements - for example the public sector equality duty, which places a proactive duty on public authorities to consider how their policies or decisions would affect people who are protected under the Equality Act. There are also domestic requirements that ensure non-discrimination in access to goods and services on grounds of disability.
The Withdrawal Agreement also sets out a commitment to 'no diminution of rights, safeguards or equality of opportunity' in Northern Ireland, as set out in the Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity Chapter of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, results from the UK's withdrawal from the EU. A dedicated mechanism will be put in place to ensure this process.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which groups his Department has consulted to help ensure that the interests of disabled people are safeguarded in the process of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
Ministers and officials from DExEU and other Government departments speak regularly to stakeholders from a variety of sectors, including disability groups, voluntary sector organisations, and organisations representing EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, to understand their concerns and priorities regarding our EU exit. Last year, our former Minister Rt. Hon. Baroness Anelay met with members of the Disability Charities Consortium, which represents eight disability charities.
It is important to note that all disability protections covered in domestic legislation, namely the Equality Act 2006 and Equality Act 2010 (and equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland) will also continue to apply after exit.
Part of the design of the Settled Status scheme for EU citizens in the UK has been to meet the needs of this group. On 25 October, the Home Office announced grant funding of up to £9 million for voluntary and community organisations across the UK to provide support to EU citizens who might need additional help when applying for their immigration status through the EU Settlement Scheme. The grant will help these organisations to both inform vulnerable individuals about the need to apply for settled status and support them to complete their applications under the scheme.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the UK medical services sector of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
As part of our work preparing to make a success of our departure from the European Union we are undertaking a broad range of sectoral analysis covering the entirety of the UK economy, including the medical services sector.
As both the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy stated in their letter to the Financial Times on 5th July, the UK is fully committed to continuing the close working relationship in this area with our European partners. Our aim is to ensure that patients in the UK and across the EU continue to be able to access the best and most innovative medicines and be assured that their safety is protected through the strongest regulatory framework and the sharing of data.
The UK has one of the strongest and most productive medical services sectors in the world. We are committed to ensuring a positive outcome for the sector, that builds on the success that we are rightly proud of, as we exit the EU.