Committee publication · Correspondence · 15 July 2026 · HC 280

Correspondence from Minister for Women and Equalities re Govt Equality Impact Assessment on the EHRC Code of Practice, dated 8 July 2026

Inquiry: Work of the Minister for Women and Equalities (2026-27)

Summary

Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson writes to clarify the Government's Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) on the EHRC's draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations. She defends the EIA's methodology and conclusions against the EHRC Chair's criticism that some findings lacked evidence, explaining that potential impacts merit consideration even absent current data and that the assessment concluded overall positive impact while acknowledging uncertainty in some areas.

Key findings

The EIA was produced by Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) Officials and has been published for transparency.
The assessment considered empirical data (hate crime statistics), stakeholder views from affected groups and service users, and external research reports from academics and external organisations.
The EHRC Chair disputed some EIA findings, stating 'there was no evidence provided for some of the things that [the Government's Equality Impact Assessment] said might happen'.
The Minister asserts that lack of current evidence is not a reason to avoid considering potential impacts, and some impacts may require monitoring post-implementation.
The EIA concluded an overall positive impact on the relevant protected characteristics, though acknowledged difficulty in ascertaining level and scale of impacts in some areas.

Tone

Procedural

Topics

equality-impact-assessmentehrc-code-practiceprotected-characteristicstrans-rights

Key actors

Bridget Phillipson MP, Sarah Owen MP, Nadia Whittome MP, Kim Leadbeater MP, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, EHRC Chair, Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO), Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

Notable line

“It is also important to note that a lack of current evidence is not a reason to avoid considering potential impacts …”

Key Quotes

“… the OEO's impact assessment says that trans people could face a disproportionate risk of violence and sexual assault as a result of this code.”
— Nadia Whittome MP · raising concerns about EIA findings during EHRC Chair session

“… there was no evidence provided for some of the things that [the Government's Equality Impact Assessment] said might happen as a result.”
— Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson · EHRC Chair's response to impact assessment findings

“It is also important to note that a lack of current evidence is not a reason to avoid considering potential impacts, and some potential impacts may need to be monitored following policy implementation.”
— Bridget Phillipson MP · defending the EIA methodology and rationale

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗