§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cases against her Department, the agencies for which it is responsible and its predecessor organisations have been brought to employment tribunals in each year since 1997 in relation to(a) equal pay, (b) sex discrimination, (c) race discrimination, (d) disability discrimination and (e) unfair dismissal; how many cost awards were made against (i) respondents and (ii) applicants; and how much has been spent (A) settling and (B) contesting claims. [181470]
§ Mr. CabornThe Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Royal Parks Agency have had a total of eight claims issued against them since 1997. Three of these claims were withdrawn before the case was heard by an employment tribunal. There were no costs awarded against (i) respondents or (ii) applicants. Details of the nature of each claim are set out in the table. The total legal costs incurred by the Department and agency of contesting the claims were £166,714.13. Claims brought by one applicant were settled, but the amount of the settlement has been withheld under Exemption 4 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Nature of claim 1997 Unfair dismissal 1997 Race discrimination 2000 Sex discrimination 2000 Race discrimination 2001 Victimisation (contrary to the Race Relations Act) 2001 Sex discrimination/victimisation 2002 Sex discrimination 2002 Victimisation (contrary to the Sex Discrimination Act)