Baroness Maclean of Redditch

The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. The Act defines long-term in this context as having lasted, or being likely to last for at least 12 months, or likely to last for the rest of the life of the person.

Mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions can therefore meet the Act’s definition, where their impact is in line with these requirements.

Where a person's condition meets the Act’s definition, the employment provisions in the Act make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against disabled employees and applicants.

The Act makes it clear that businesses and public bodies that provide goods and services must not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people, including those who may not have physical disabilities.

The EHRC has submitted its draft Code to Ministers, and we are reviewing it with the care it deserves. It is crucial that providers have legally robust guidance on how to apply the Equality Act, which is why we are considering the draft Code properly.

We have always been clear that the proper process needs to be followed. The Code will have implications for service providers up and down the country so it is important that we get this right.

Each application for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) is independently evaluated by the Gender Recognition Panel, underpinned by a range of required evidence. Certificates are only granted to those who meet the criteria, and not everyone who applies is granted one and circumstances are taken into account.

In order to be granted a GRC, an applicant must meet a high threshold of requirements:

• Be over 18
• Provide minimum of 2 years’ worth of evidence that they are living in their acquired gender
• Provide a medical report confirming a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a UK doctor
• Provide a medical report countersigning the diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a psychiatrist or another doctor
• Provide a signed statutory declaration that the applicant intends to remain in their acquired gender until death.

There are safeguards in place to ensure that the relevant authorities can manage the risk posed by sex offenders. These include a requirement for registered sex offenders to notify the police of any changes to their personal information such as change of name. Furthermore, as previously stated, the police can require registered sex offenders to notify them of an intended change of name at least seven days in advance of using it. If a person with any criminal record were to obtain a GRC, this would not remove or invalidate past sentences served in their previous gender.

We continue to monitor these arrangements to ensure they safeguard the public.

Each application for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) is independently evaluated by the Gender Recognition Panel, underpinned by a range of required evidence. Certificates are only granted to those who meet the criteria, and not everyone who applies is granted one and circumstances are taken into account.

In order to be granted a GRC, an applicant must meet a high threshold of requirements:

• Be over 18
• Provide minimum of 2 years’ worth of evidence that they are living in their acquired gender
• Provide a medical report confirming a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a UK doctor
• Provide a medical report countersigning the diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a psychiatrist or another doctor
• Provide a signed statutory declaration that the applicant intends to remain in their acquired gender until death.

There are safeguards in place to ensure that the relevant authorities can manage the risk posed by sex offenders. These include a requirement for registered sex offenders to notify the police of any changes to their personal information such as change of name. Furthermore, as previously stated, the police can require registered sex offenders to notify them of an intended change of name at least seven days in advance of using it. If a person with any criminal record were to obtain a GRC, this would not remove or invalidate past sentences served in their previous gender.

We continue to monitor these arrangements to ensure they safeguard the public.

Each application for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) is independently evaluated by the Gender Recognition Panel, underpinned by a range of required evidence. Certificates are only granted to those who meet the criteria, and not everyone who applies is granted one and circumstances are taken into account.

In order to be granted a GRC, an applicant must meet a high threshold of requirements:

• Be over 18
• Provide minimum of 2 years’ worth of evidence that they are living in their acquired gender
• Provide a medical report confirming a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a UK doctor
• Provide a medical report countersigning the diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a psychiatrist or another doctor
• Provide a signed statutory declaration that the applicant intends to remain in their acquired gender until death.

There are safeguards in place to ensure that the relevant authorities can manage the risk posed by sex offenders. These include a requirement for registered sex offenders to notify the police of any changes to their personal information such as change of name. Furthermore, as previously stated, the police can require registered sex offenders to notify them of an intended change of name at least seven days in advance of using it. If a person with any criminal record were to obtain a GRC, this would not remove or invalidate past sentences served in their previous gender.

We continue to monitor these arrangements to ensure they safeguard the public.

Yes the answer was correct at the time of writing.

The Government has published 29 Impact Assessments representing a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Act: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments. Each Impact Assessment considers how impacts may vary depending on business size and includes an estimation of the potential compliance costs.

On Wednesday 7 January, the Government published the Enactment Summary Impact Assessment for the Employment Rights Act 2025. This forms part of a comprehensive package of 29 Impact Assessments analysing the impact of the Act: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments. As per our Better Regulation requirements, each Impact Assessment includes a small and micro business assessment.

The Government has published 29 Impact Assessments representing a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Act: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments. As per our Better Regulation requirements, each Impact Assessment includes a small and micro business assessment.

The Government will be publishing an Enactment Impact Assessment on the impacts of the Employment Rights Act. This assessment can be found here when published: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments

My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Act, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments

This analysis includes consideration of increases in labour costs for businesses and the subsequent effects, as well as assessments on how the proposed zero hour contract measures could affect different groups in the labour market. The impact on younger people and students will depend on the regulations following consultation, however it is important to note the measures will focus on exploitative zero hours contracts to ensure people are able to access guaranteed hours. For those who want to remain on a zero hours contract, for example many students, they will still be able to.

On Monday 23 February, the department launched a full 12‑week consultation on our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms because we want to hear directly from people across the country who have an interest in these reforms.

We are also hosting a series of online and in‑person events throughout the 12-week consultation period, with some sessions delivered in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children. This consultation concludes on 18 May 2026.

The consultation, including accessible versions, can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first.

The department will manage the implementation of the reformed SEND system carefully, hence why our investments start now, before forthcoming legislation.

The first cohort to transition will be those at the end of primary, secondary and post-16 in 2029/30. They will move to the new system in September 2030. We expect the final cohort to transition to the new system in 2035.

The specialist sector has a vital role to play in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, and the department values the contribution specialist places make for children and young people with complex needs. A fundamental principle of the SEND Code of Practice is that assessments are individual to the child or young person, and that special educational provision should be made based on presenting need. This does not rely on any specific diagnosis or categorisation of that need. Local authorities are under a statutory duty to ensure a sufficient supply of educational provision for children and young people with SEND, and placement decisions are reached as part of the assessment process in each individual case. Parents and young people have legal rights to express a preference for the setting they wish to be named in an education, health and care plan. Allocation of specialist placements is therefore based on the needs of the child or young person under assessment and is case-specific.

The department has already consulted with colleagues in the Welsh government on analysis published in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation document comparing rates of special education needs across both nations. The use of data to assess the efficacy of the Welsh SEND reforms introduced in 2021 was not feasible due to variation at school and local authority level.

We will continue to work with the devolved governments as we progress the proposals set out in the SEND consultation document, as well as preparations for future legislation, to ensure that legislative impacts are fully understood and addressed.

The government is committed to supporting local areas to create high-quality places that are suitable to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We want more pupils to access the right support in a local mainstream setting, enabling them to learn alongside their peers and siblings, instead of travelling a long way to a special school.

​The department is investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/2026 and 2029/2030, to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with SEND, or who require alternative provision.

​Specialist places for pupils with special educational needs are not provided on the basis of specific distinct needs. The department publishes data on the breakdown of pupils by their recorded primary need type and school type on gov.uk although this may not fully reflect the total number of pupils who experience mental health difficulties, anxieties or depression. The department also publishes data on specialist placement capacity on gov.uk since 2023 but this is not broken down by type of need.

Assessments by the Education Select Committee, Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office highlight common challenges across the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system that mean children and young people do not get the effective early intervention they need and leave parents struggling to secure appropriate support.

As set out in our ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper, the government is seeking to reshape the SEND system to make all mainstream early years settings, schools and colleges truly inclusive. We are also investing billions of pounds to adapt classrooms and corridors, train teachers, educators and assistants, and bring experts like speech and language therapists into settings.

We are consulting on these proposals and will continue to work with a wide range of partners to refine them and deliver them.

The department collects and publishes figures on the number and proportion of pupils in special schools. The number of pupils in special schools (State-funded and non-maintained) has increased from 109,177 in 2015/16 to 169,630 in 2024/25. This is an increase of 60,453. The proportion of pupils in special schools was 1.3% in 2015/16 and 1.9% in 2024/25, an increase of 0.6 percentage points.

The Flood Re scheme allows for insurers to offer discounted premiums to leasehold properties consisting of three or less units where the freeholder lives in one of the units. As larger blocks, of four or more units, are classified as a commercial business, the Flood Re scheme does not apply to buildings insurance, though tenants and leaseholders can access Flood Re supported contents insurance regardless of block size. There’s currently no evidence of a widespread systemic problem for residents in accessing insurance, where they are ineligible for Flood Re.

Defra regularly reviews scheme eligibility. Expanding Flood Re to businesses would introduce a new business levy, effectively forcing businesses nationwide and indirectly customers, to subsidise profit making firms in flood-areas. Any expansion to Flood Re’s scope would need careful consideration of impacts on scheme operation and costs.

The information requested is not held centrally and extracting this information would require manual examination of individual records and exceed the cost limit.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Although the Department holds information on the mental health conditions of Access to Work customers and the specific types of support they receive, information on specific mental health conditions and how much has been spent on mental health support is not readily accessible. The required information is recorded as descriptive free-text information and extracting it would require manual review of individual records.

While we cannot provide total expenditure on mental health support, the Access to Work official statistics do report expenditure for customers whose primary medical condition is a mental health condition, as well as for the Mental Health Support Service, as seen in the table below.

There are strict rules that govern who can access benefits. Parents who are not British or Irish nationals can only access Universal Credit with a valid immigration status of a kind that gives them the right to access public funds. Most migrants with temporary visas cannot access the benefit system. Access to public funds and benefits is usually at the point of settlement, which for most people will be after they have lived in the UK legally for five years, and the Home Office Earned Settlement policy consultation is looking at increasing this to ten years. The Home Office is also consulting on changing the default position to maintain No Recourse to Public Funds at settlement and lifting this only at the point of British citizenship. This would mean that migrants would need to wait longer to access benefits.

DWP also plans to consult on changes to the benefit rules to prioritise access for those who are making an economic contribution to the UK. The consultation will look at how the benefit rules apply to everyone arriving or returning to the UK.

Full details about the consultation including timelines, how long the consultation will last, and how to be involved, will be announced in due course.

The Home Office is the department responsible for assessing migration trends – including pull factors for migration. The Home Office report ‘Asylum seeker decision-making in journeys to the United Kingdom (2022)’ explores the decision-making process for asylum seekers choosing to come to the UK.

Most migrants with temporary visas cannot access the benefit system. Access to public funds and benefits is usually at the point of settlement, which for most people will be after they have lived in the UK legally for five years, and the Home Office Earned Settlement policy consultation is looking at increasing this to ten years.

The Home Office are also consulting on changing the default position to maintain No Recourse to Public Funds at settlement and lifting this only at the point of British citizenship, in addition to increasing times for path to settlement from five to ten years.

The Government is committed to fulfilling the recommendation arising from the Paterson Inquiry. Information will be published in due course.

Under the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessment framework, the CQC assesses providers for multidisciplinary teams (MDT) working under the quality statement, How staff, teams and services work together. Where this quality statement is assessed for individual services, an assessment report with the CQC’s findings is published on the CQC website.

The CQC is currently consulting on sector-specific assessment frameworks following reviews into their operational effectiveness by Dr Penny Dash, Sir Professor Mike Richards, and the Care Provider Alliance. MDT working would be assessed in future under the hospitals framework, both secondary and specialist care, via the Safe systems, pathways and transitions key line of enquiry and via the Delivering evidence-based care and treatment key line of enquiry.

All doctors are expected to meet the standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice, which states that doctors must ensure patients are given the time and support they need to make informed decisions. Doctors must also follow the GMC’s guidance Decision making and consent, which came into effect in November 2020. The guidance sets out seven principles of decision making and consent, including giving patients the information they need to make a decision and the time and support they need to understand it.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) considers GMC guidance and standards when conducting assessments. The CQC can act if a provider is failing to ensure that consent is being obtained lawfully.

NHS England has integrated decision support tools into elective pathways of care. These tools support two stage shared decision making, which introduces a period of reflection for patients when deciding on treatment options and giving consent. This allows patients to take the time to fully understand the benefits and risks of treatment, talk with friends and family, and decide whether it is the most suitable option for them.

NHS England holds detailed activity data from adult gender services that reports on the number and type of clinical appointments offered, and their outcome. It is not, however, possible to calculate an average number of appointments that an individual has from this data set.

In response to the findings from the Cass Review, NHS England has established a National Gender Research Oversight Board (NROB), which is overseeing a joint programme of research in partnership with the National Institute of Health and Care Research.

The NROB works collaboratively with academics, clinicians, and other stakeholders to improve data and inform the ongoing development of evidence-based care. Its scope includes maintaining an up-to-date evidence synthesis of the latest international research, which will consider papers such as the one cited, through a living systematic review process, to inform national policy and front-line clinical practice. It also includes a priority setting partnership, through the James Lind Alliance, which will help identify future gender research funding priorities.