§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made118W of the number of people with learning disabilities who have experienced bullying and harassment at work in the last year. [158077]
§ Ms HodgePeople with learning disabilities can take cases under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) where they believe they have faced harassment or bullying which amounts to a "detriment" on account of their disability. My Department monitors Employment Tribunal decisions and emerging case law on all aspects of the DDA, including complaints made by disabled people about harassment and bullying. In its final report, "From Exclusion to Inclusion", the Disability Rights Task Force commented that the DDA is effective in its treatment of harassment but proposed strengthening the Employment Code of Practice. In our response to the Task Force, entitled "Towards Inclusion" and published on 5 March, we explain that we have asked the Disability Rights Commission to ensure that the current section in the Code of Practice on harassment is reviewed and strengthened, as necessary.