To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what research her Department has, or is otherwise aware of, which suggests that pregnant women are discouraged by their employers from attending ante-natal appointments; and what action the Government plans to take to reduce the incidence of pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination treatment referred to in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Research Paper No. 235, Pregnancy and Maternity-Related Discrimination and Disadvantage, First Findings: Surveys of Employers and Mothers, published in August 2015.
Answered on
12 October 2015
In November 2013, the government commissioned the largest study of its kind into pregnancy and maternity discrimination in Great Britain. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published the interim report of this study earlier this year. The EHRC interim report is available online at: www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/our-work/key-projects/managing-pregnancy-and-maternity-workplace/report
The final research report will be published later this year. It will tell us what issues women face, who is most at risk and which types of employers and which sectors are most likely to receive complaints about discrimination. This will inform any further action that the government takes in order to ensure that employers and mothers are aware of, and act on, their legal obligations and rights.