§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the women's organisations that have been consulted over proposed legislation by her Department during(a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 sessions; and if their responses have been published. [44386]
§ Malcolm WicksThis Department and its businesses comply with the guidelines set out in the Code of Practice on Written Consultation, which was published by the Cabinet Office in November 2000.
In the course of the 2000–01 and 2001–02 sessions.. this Department consulted widely on proposed legislation. This consultation included the following women's organisations:
- Women's National Commission
- Townswomen's Guild
- National Federation of Women's Institutes
- Scottish Women's Aid
- Welsh Women's Aid
- Women's Aid Federation of England
- Fawcett Society
- National Board of Catholic Women
- National Council of Great Britain
- The Business and Professional Women UK Ltd.
- WINVISIBLE (Women with Visible and Invisible Disabilities) Southwark Muslim Women's Association
- Waltham Forest Asian Mother's Group
- Cardiff Women in Mind
- Union of Women Teachers
- Birmingham Women's Aid
- National Women's Register.
All of these women's organisations have responded to one or more of the consultation exercises which covered proposed legislation including: the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000; Pension Credit; the Occupational and Personal Pensions: Simplification of the 83W Disability Discrimination Act and "Towards Inclusion"—Government proposals in response to recommendations of the Disability Rights Task Force.