Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps he has taken to help tackle discrimination against Romani people.

The Equality Act 2010 provides protection against discrimination for people because of various characteristics, including race, which covers colour, nationality, and ethnic and national origins. The Roma community is considered to be an ethnic group for the purposes of legislation.

The Government sponsors the Equality Advisory & Support Service (EASS), which is a free helpline offering advice and support to anyone in England, Scotland, and Wales who feels that they have suffered discrimination or had their human rights infringed. One of the stakeholder organisations that the EASS regularly deals with is Friends, Families and Travellers which works on behalf of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.