Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government last reviewed the recommendations of (a) the Equal Opportunities Commission’s 2006 report, Greater Expectations, on its investigation into discrimination against new and expectant mothers in the workplace and (b) subsequent reports by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on Pregnancy and Maternity Related Discrimination and Disadvantage in 2016.

The Equal Opportunities Commission’s Greater Expectations report and subsequently EHRC’s work, which was based on research jointly commissioned with the then Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, made a number of recommendations to respond to the risk and impact of pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace.

The Government has an active programme of work in this area. We have consulted and committed to introduce legislation to improve redundancy protections for pregnant women and new mothers. We will introduce this when Parliamentary time allows. We have also established a Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination Advisory Board comprising business representatives, family groups and the TUC. The Board is considering the information and guidance on pregnancy and maternity discrimination to ensure it continues to be relevant and is effective in supporting employers and employees.