§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much money has been spent on(a) settling and (b)contesting claims in the Department registered at employment tribunals for (i) race discrimination, (ii) sex discrimination, (iii) disability discrimination, (iv) unfair dismissal and (v) equal pay since 1 January 2003. [159412]
§ Yvette CooperDuring the period in question, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has settled one Employment Tribunal case on terms that involved the payment of financial compensation. All other cases brought against the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister were either withdrawn by the applicants, or settled on terms that did not involve payment.
The exception was one case in category (i)—race relations—in which damages of £6,324.16 were paid.
1442WThe amounts expended in contesting applications made to Employment Tribunals are as set out as follows. The figures represent the costs of instructing Treasury Solicitor and of disbursements on fees to Counsel and other expenses. They include the case referred to above, as well as cases where The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has settled without payment of compensation, cases that have been successfully defended, cases that have been withdrawn and on-going expenses of cases that are still being contested.
Since 1 January 2003 the amount of money spent on contesting claims at employment tribunals in the categories listed are as follows:
- (i) race discrimination—£15,655.64
- (ii) sex discrimination—£634
- (iii) disability discrimination⁃£23,856.85
- (iv) unfair dismissal £14,004.96
- (v) equal pay—£138,566.94.