PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Local Government: Disability (6 October 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on engagement with disability organisations on matters relevant to their interests.

Asked by:
Navendu Mishra (Labour)

Whilst no specific guidance has been issued to local authorities on engagement with disability organisations, all local authorities are required to uphold the Public Sector Equality Duty.

This requires that public bodies, including local authorities, pay due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.

Protected characteristics include disability. Local authorities therefore have a legal obligation to consider the potential impact of their policies, services and decisions on people with protected characteristics.

Answered by:
Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative)
14 October 2020