§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list current UK legislation on discrimination in the workplace which resulted from(a) agreements reached at an EU level and (b) judgments of the European Court; what estimates she has made of the number of cases brought in each region of the UK under each piece of legislation in each of the last five years; how many cases were successful in each case; and what the total value of awards made in each of the last five years was for each region. [185323]
§ Mr. SutcliffeThe current UK (excluding Northern Ireland) legislation on discrimination in the workplace which resulted from agreements at an EU level is as follows:
Disability
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations 2003
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Pensions) Regulations 2003
Sexual orientation
The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) (Amendment) Regulations 2003
522WReligion or belief
The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003
The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) (Amendment) Regulations 2003
The Independent Schools (Employment of Teachers in Schools with a Religious Character) Regulations 2003
The School Standards and Framework Act 1998
The Education (Scotland) Act 1980
Tribunals
The Employment Tribunals (Interest on Awards in Discrimination Cases Regulations 1996
Race
The Race Relations Act 1976 (Amendment) Regulations 2003
Gender
The primary gender legislation which has been affected by European Court legislation is the Equal Pay Act 1970, as amended and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, as amended. However, a full legislative list has been provided in the following table.
Number of cases
The Employment Tribunals Service is not able to provide a regional breakdown of the number of cases brought before the tribunal and of those that were successful. Given the short length of time that the Employment Equality Regulations have been in force, the number of cases reaching an Employment Tribunal is currently very small.
Disability
The Disability regulations come into force on 1 October 2004 and is yet there are no cases to report. The following table shows the number of cases that were brought before the tribunal on the grounds of disability in the last five years.
Sexual orientation
Only one case so far has been decided upon in the Employment Tribunal under the Employment Equality Sexual Orientation Regulations. The discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation was not upheld by the tribunal.
In the period December 2003 to June 2004 there have been 83 Employment Tribunal applications registered by the Employment Tribunals Service relating to sexual orientation.
Religion or belief
To date, no cases have been decided upon in the Employment Tribunal under the Employment Equality Religion or Belief Regulations.
In the period December 2003 to June 2004 there have been 44 application registered by the Employment Tribunals Service relating to religion or belief.
Race
The Race Regulations have now been in force for a year and there are no cases to report that have come before the Employment Tribunal. The table shows the number of cases that were brought before the tribunal on the grounds of racial discrimination in the last five years.
523WSex
The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 has been amended by European Court legislation. The table shows the number of cases that were brought before the tribunal on the grounds of sex discrimination in the last five years.
Equal pay
The Equal Pay Act 1970 has been amended by European Court legislation. The table below shows the number of cases that were brought before the tribunal on the grounds of discrimination arising from equal pay issues in the last five years.
The Employment Tribunals Service is unable to provide information on the total value of awards made in the last five years on a regional basis.
Applications registered Number of cases disposed of at hearing Number successful at heating Equal pay—main jurisdiction cases 1999–2000 2,391 110 9 2000—01 6,586 55 11 2001–02 5,314 185 149 2002–03 3,077 92 47 2003–04 3,217 77 51 Disability—main jurisdiction cases 1999–2000 1,743 292 67 2000–01 2,100 457 105 2001—02 2,624 345 77 2002—03 2,716 408 90 2003–04 2,764 396 99 Sex—main jurisdiction cases 1999–2000 4,926 866 233 2000–01 17,200 967 322 2001–02 10,092 838 239 2002–03 8,128 904 289 2003–04 14,284 711 265 Race—main jurisdiction cases 1999–2000 3,246 632 170 2000–01 3,429 975 204
£ million 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 RN 4 2 22 21 31 Army 41 51 19 67 64 Single Living Accommodation Modernisation(SLAM) 14 19 4 27 13 Other 7 13 72 86 92 Totals 66 85 162 316 277 The entry on 'OTHER' expenditure relates to projects delivered by the Defence Estates agency, on tri-Service projects including within the Defence Logistics Organisation, Permanent Joint Headquarters, and in Northern Ireland.
Expenditure on SLAM (the project to modernise single living accommodation for the Services) assumes some 17 per cent. to RN, 54 per cent. to Army and 26 per cent. to RAF (3 per cent. other) but these figures are indicative as the work is likely to be tackled on a 'worst first' rather than Service basis.