§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the Disability Rights Commission's call for the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to be extended to people who have a genetic predisposition and for specific legislation relating to personal genetic information. [HL898]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) is structured to cover people with an impairment and a resulting disability. There is no certainty that a person with a genetic predisposition to a particular condition will necessarily go on to develop an impairment or disability. We have accepted the recommendation of the Disability Rights Task Force that at this time genetic predisposition to impairment should not be considered a disability under the DDA but that the Disability Rights Commission ( DRC) should work closely with this department to keep this issue under review.
We will carefully consider its advice and that of the DRC.