To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Special Educational Needs: Mediation
Thursday 1st February 2024

Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what opportunities parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have had to contribute to the development of new professional standards for mediators working with SEND.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, the department committed to work with the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) and the College of Mediators (CoM) to review and build on the existing professional standards for SEND mediators, which was first published in 2018. The standards are owned by CMC and CoM and apply to those listed on their joint register of accredited SEND mediators.

CMC and CoM conducted a review of the existing standards last year and are currently consulting on proposed updated standards. Departmental officials have been working closely with CMC and CoM to ensure that the views of families, local authorities and other stakeholders are considered.

Parents and carers of children with SEND can contribute their views directly by responding to the consultation via the CMC’s website: https://civilmediation.org/send-consultation.

The department has also engaged with the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF), which is the national combined strategic voice of parent carer forums working in co-production with the government. All funded local parent carer forums are, by default, members of the NPCF. The department has engaged with NNPCF via the department’s SEND Dispute Resolution Steering Group, where they have had an opportunity to comment and share their views on plans to update the standards. NNPCF have also shared details of the consultation with their network.

The Council for Disabled Children and Contact have also shared details of the consultation.


Written Question
Energy Ombudsman
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Batley and Spen)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) efficiency and (b) effectiveness of the (i) Energy Ombudsman and (ii) Ombudsman's complaint resolution processes; and what steps she is taking to help ensure consumers writing to the ombudsman receive comprehensive and helpful feedback and advice.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Ofgem is responsible for certifying Alternative Dispute Resolution entities and appointing the Energy Ombudsman (EO). The EO is important for ensuring good consumer outcomes and trust by investigating disputes between suppliers and consumers.

Every two years Ofgem assesses the performance of the EO to ensure they still meet the approval criteria. The latest completed assessment, covering 2019-2021 is available on Ofgem’s website.

Ministers meet regularly with the EO to understand trends in consumer complaints and ensure a high-quality service.


Written Question
Disability: Employment
Thursday 30th November 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to ensure that companies are upholding their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 on the implementation of reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Equality Act 2010 places a general duty on employers and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people access to goods and services and access and remain in employment, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments. For example, the EHRC provides a range of guidance for businesses on their legal duties to assistance dog owners:

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/assistance-dogs-a-guide-for-all-businesses.pdf

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/take-the-lead-welcoming-customers-with-assistance-dogs_0.pdf

The EHRC also provide further guidance on reasonable workplace adjustments:

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/guidance/business/employing-people-workplace-adjustments

Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who thinks that they have been discriminated against - for example for being refused a job interview or where access to an assistance dog has been refused - can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue, at an employment tribunal (employment cases) or other civil court (non-employment cases).

A person who believes that they have experienced discrimination because of disability can take their case to a tribunal or court. Before doing so, they may wish to contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS), a Government-funded helpline, is the initial point of contact for anyone with discrimination concerns. The EASS provides free bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with discrimination concerns. The EASS also supports individuals to resolve issues using alternative informal dispute resolution and can advise you on what are the next steps to take when you feel you have been discriminated against. The EASS can also advise people on their options and can be contacted through their website at www.equalityadvisoryservice.com, by telephone on 0808 800 0082 or text phone on 0808 800 0084.


Written Question
Veganism
Tuesday 21st November 2023

Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to page 22 of the Vegan Society’s report entitled, Catering for Everyone: How far are councils catering to vegans, published in September 2023, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the report's findings on the level of recognition by local authorities of veganism as a protected characteristic.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Ethical veganism has previously been found to be a philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010 by an employment tribunal, in an employment context. While this is not binding in other cases, all employers and service providers, including local authorities, should have regard to the differing dietary needs of people who they provide meals to, whether these are determined by health considerations, religious or philosophical belief. They should be aware that employees or service users may bring claims under the Act, where they consider they have been treated less favourably because of their belief in ethical veganism.

In addition, councils are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty which requires them, in carrying out their functions, to have due regard to the need to achieve the objectives set out under s149 of the Equality Act 2010 to:

(a) eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010; (b) advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and (c) foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. Specific duties, set out in regulations, ensure transparency, and assist in the performance of this duty.

A person who believes that they have experienced discrimination because of a philosophical belief can take their case to a tribunal or court. Before doing so, they may wish to contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS), a Government-funded helpline, which is the initial point of contact for anyone with discrimination concerns. The EASS provides free bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with discrimination concerns. The EASS also supports individuals to resolve issues using alternative informal dispute resolution and can advise you on what are the next steps to take when you feel you have been discriminated against. The EASS can also advise people on their options and can be contacted through their website at www.equalityadvisoryservice.com, by telephone on 0808 800 0082 or text phone on 0808 800 0084.


Written Question
Energy Ombudsman
Monday 13th November 2023

Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the powers of the Energy Ombudsman to implement its rulings in (a) full and (b) a timely manner.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Energy Ombudsman is an independent, not for profit company appointed by Ofgem as the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body for the energy sector under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes Regulations 2015. As the Competent Authority, it is the responsibility of Ofgem to carry out an assessment of the Energy Ombudsman’s performance. Ofgem does this every two years to ensure the company meets the approval criteria as an ADR body. A copy of the most recent assessment for the period of 2019-2021 is available on Ofgem’s website at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/biennial-assessment-ombudsman-services-under-adr-regulations-2019-2021.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: Women
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, whether he plans to accept the invitation from Garden Court Chambers to attend mediation talks with Joanne Welch from CEDAWinLAW on an alternative dispute resolution for women born in the 1950s who were affected by changes in the State Pension age.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

In the legal challenge on changes to State Pension age, both the High Court and Court of Appeal have found no fault in the actions of the DWP, under successive governments dating back to 1995, finding Government acted entirely lawfully and did not discriminate on any grounds.

Additionally, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has not completed his investigation into communication of changes to women’s state pension. It would be inappropriate to enter into Alternative Dispute Resolution with third parties or comment while the PHSO investigation is ongoing. Section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.


Written Question
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership
Thursday 19th October 2023

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's publication entitled UK-Canada Free Trade Agreement: The UK’s Strategic Approach, published 24 March 2022, for what reason does the UK's strategic approach (a) include an ambition to ensure the agreement does not contain an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism and (b) not commit to disapply such a mechanism with Canada as part of the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The UK will not be seeking to negotiate an investor state dispute mechanism (ISDS) in the UK-Canada FTA and will instead seek to consider alternative options for investment dispute resolution that are best suited to the bilateral relationship between the UK and Canada.

In seeking accession to CPTPP, the UK committed to the agreement’s existing standards, including its provisions on investor protections backed by a modern and transparent ISDS mechanism. These features balance the need to protect UK investors accessing and operating in CPTPP markets and ensure that the Government can regulate in the public interest.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: Women
Wednesday 18th October 2023

Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the correspondence from Garden Court Chambers of (a) 24 August and (b) 14 September 2023 on pension age changes for women born in the 1950s, whether he plans to meet with them to discuss this issue.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has not completed his investigation into communication of changes to women’s state pension. It would be inappropriate to enter into Alternative Dispute Resolution with third parties or comment while the PHSO investigation is ongoing. Section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.


Written Question
Driving: Dispute Resolution
Wednesday 18th October 2023

Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Motor Ombudsman at helping motorists to (a) resolve disputes with and (b) obtain redress in disputes about vehicles.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Motor Ombudsman is a non-statutory ombudsman, set up as a voluntary scheme by the industry and independent of government. The Motor Ombudsman is accredited and regularly audited by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute against key principles including neutrality and effective complaints handling.

The Motor Ombudsman's activities are documented in their annual reports, complying with the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015. These reports are accessible on its website.


Written Question
Energy Ombudsman
Thursday 7th September 2023

Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the total value of all financial remedies from complaints resolved by the Energy Ombudsman since 2010.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department has not assessed the trends in the total value of all financial remedies from complaints resolved by the Energy Ombudsman since 2010. The Energy Ombudsman is an independent, not for profit company appointed by Ofgem as the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body for the energy sector under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes Regulations 2015. Under the Regulations, Ofgem is required to carry out an assessment on the Ombudsman’s performance every two years.