Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether there are restrictions on internship applications to the (a) Office for Equality and Opportunity and (b) Equality and Human Rights Commission in (i) 2025 and (ii) 2026.

As the Office for Equality and Opportunity is part of the Cabinet Office, we follow Cabinet Office recruitment policies, including recruitment of interns. There is not a single universal rule for Cabinet Office internships as eligibility and restrictions vary by the specific internship scheme and the individual advert.

In August 2025, a new policy was introduced to broaden access for working-class students to the Civil Service. OEO will apply this guidance to future intern recruitment, with the programme launching in 2026.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent regulator and follows a similar approach as all roles are advertised Civil Service Jobs.