Oral Answers to Questions

Natalie McGarry Excerpts

Tuesday 8th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I gently point out that London, the north-west of England and Scotland are a notable distance from Torquay, to which this question is confined.

[Natalie McGarry (Glasgow East) (SNP)]

4. If he will undertake a review of employment tribunal fees.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities and Family Justice (Caroline Dinenage)]

On 11 June we announced the start of the post-implementation review of the introduction of fees in employment tribunals. The review will consider how successful the policy has been in achieving its objectives.

[Natalie McGarry]

It is clear that employment tribunal fees have acted as a significant barrier to justice, especially for women. Between April and June 2013 and April and June 2014 the number of sex discrimination-related employment tribunal claims fell by a staggering 91%. Does the Minister expect the figures for April and June 2015, which are due out this month, to show that women are continuing to be denied access to justice by employment tribunal fees?

[Caroline Dinenage]

Of course, we cannot pre-empt the review’s findings; we will look at the figures in due course. I gently say to the hon. Lady that although we need a scheme that does not deter people from making legitimate claims, we must take what steps we can to divert people from potentially acrimonious hearings, which is why I am very pleased that ACAS’s new early conciliation scheme has already been used by over 80,000 people in its first year.