Lords committee to re-examine the Equality Act 2010 and its impact on disabled people

The aim of the session is to explore what progress has been made since the original report.

The Liaison Committee will be joined by Baroness Deech (former Chair of the Equality Act 2010 and Disability Committee) and other former members to question Justin Tomlinson MP, Minister for disabled people, Baroness Vere, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport and Lord Wolfson of Tredegar, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry for Justice , as well as witnesses from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Disability Rights UK and legal practitioners.

The original report found that the Government was failing in its duty of care by not bringing into force provisions in the Act that would improve the lives of disabled people. The Committee found some of these provisions are enshrined in law but have been not enforced in over 20 years.

The follow-up session comes ahead of the launch of the Government’s ‘National Strategy for Disabled People’ which is expected to be published in the coming months.

The evidence sessions will start at 2:10pm on Thursday 17 June. The full witness details are:

2:10pm

• Catherine Casserley, Barrister and former Special Adviser to the Select Committee on the Equality Act 2010 and Disability
• Kamran Mallick, CEO, Disability Rights UK

3:00pm

• John Horan, Barrister and Trustee, Disability Law Service
• Declan O’Dempsey, Barrister and Trustee, The Discrimination Law Association

3:30pm

• Caroline Waters, Deputy Chair, Equalities and Human Rights Commission
• Melanie Field, Executive Director, Strategy, Policy, Legal and Wales, EHRC

4:05pm

• Justin Tomlinson MP, Minister of State (Minister for Disabled people, health and work), Department for Work and Pensions
• Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport
• Lord Wolfson of Tredegar, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry for Justice
• Marcus Bell, Director, Government Equalities Office
• Charles Ramsden, Deputy Director, Government Equalities Office

All the sessions can be followed live on Parliament TV