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UK Parliament

Inclusion and Diversity Strategy 2023-2027

At the House of Commons we aim to provide a positive, inclusive working environment where people are valued for the skills and experience that they bring to work. Our aim is to be representative of the society we serve. This means making Parliament more accessible, diverse and free from discrimination.

About the Strategy

The Inclusion and Diversity Strategy 2023-2027 underpins the House Administration Strategy to support parliamentary democracy by delivering excellent services to the UK Parliament. It will help fulfil its strategic aim to ‘support our people to thrive’. 

While we have made progress over the years, there is more work to do to reap the benefits of inclusion and diversity: we must create and sustain an inclusive culture where all feel they can do their best work and can thrive, in line with our values.

We want all our staff to feel that they can be themselves at work, valued for the distinct perspective that they bring, and that they have equality of opportunity.

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity (I&D) is grounded in, but not limited to, our responsibilities under the equality legislation. The Equality Act 2010 sets out the ways in which everyone is protected by the legislation.

Our vision and aims

The strategy sets out our vision and core aims, and the central plans on which the House Administration and Parliamentary Digital Service teams will build. They will be supported by the central Inclusion and Diversity team and their own business planning leads. 

Our strategy focuses on three key areas for the next four years:

  • decreasing the ethnicity pay gap
  • improving accessibility
  • fostering inclusive environments

We aim to:

  • be an employer of choice, ensuring that we have the skills and capabilities we need to meet the challenges we face as an organisation, enabling our people to thrive and adapt;  
  • be an inclusive and diverse organisation, creating a positive and supportive culture where people feel able to be themselves at work and staff wellbeing is enhanced;  
  • engage colleagues, listening and acting on feedback and co-creating solutions;  
  • be one team, breaking down silos, delivering together and treating all colleagues fairly.

Objectives will be delivered through corporate and team I&D action plans and business plans. Progress against these actions will be monitored by the Inclusion and Diversity Steering Group, which will meet quarterly to ensure progress and to keep inclusion and diversity at the forefront of the work of each team.

The Strategy has been endorsed by the House of Commons Executive Board.

Find out more about Inclusion & Diversity at the House of Commons

Workplace Equality Networks (WENs)

The House of Commons and House of Lords have established Workplace Equality Networks (WENs) to provide an opportunity for groups of people to discuss and consider issues relevant to their situation or of interest to them. In particular, WENs can be useful forums for groups protected by equality legislation. WENs are open to all pass holders in the Commons, Lords, Parliamentary Digital Service, contractors employed by Parliament, MPs, Peers and their staff. Membership is not restricted to people who share a protected characteristic relating to these WENs but those involved are required to respect the aims of the Networks.

Workplace Equality Networks are each run by an elected committee, which includes an appointed Chair and a Treasurer. The Inclusion teams of each House allocate every WEN a small annual budget of £4,000 (paid for by the House of Commons and the House of Lords). Funds must be spent on activities which directly support the objectives of the WEN, such as educational events or awareness raising, and all spending must be approved by the committee in question.

Strategy documents:

Diversity Monitoring reports:

In this section

External partners

Inclusive Employers

The House of Commons is a member of Inclusive Employers, the UK's first and leading membership organisation for employers looking to build inclusive workplaces.

The Disability Employment Charter

House of Commons and Parliamentary Digital Service was re-awarded Disability Confident Leader status in 2023. The employment charter is a tool to help business to measure and improve on performance for disabled customers, clients or service users, employees and stakeholders. 

The National Autistic Society's Autism Friendly Award

The House of Commons has been awarded The National Autistic Society's Autism Friendly Award, which champions premises who commit to making sure that autistic visitors receive the same warm welcome as everybody else.