Displaying items by tag: Equality and Human Rights Commission

On 12 February the Equalities and Human Rights Commission launched a legal challenge against Matt Hancock, secretary of state for health and social care, over the repeated failure to move people with learning disabilities and autism into appropriate accommodation. It stated, ‘We have long-standing concerns about the rights of more than 2,000 people with learning disabilities and autism being detained in secure hospitals, often far away from home and for many years. We have sent a pre-action letter to Mr Hancock, arguing that his department has breached the European Convention of Human Rights by failing to meet the targets set in tts Transforming Care and Building the Right Support programmes. These targets include moving patients from inappropriate in-patient care to community-based settings, and reducing the reliance on in-patient care for people with learning disabilities and autism.’

Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is launching a formal investigation into the Labour party over whether they unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish. They have been carrying out preliminary investigations since March and will seek to determine whether the party and its employees have committed unlawful acts of discrimination or failed to respond to complaints of unlawful acts in an efficient and effective manner. The EHRC rarely takes action against political parties. In 2010, it ordered the British National party (BNP) to rewrite its constitution to comply with race relations laws because they banned black and minority ethnic Britons from becoming members. The inquiry transpires in the midst of a worrying rise in anti-semitism in the UK and across Europe. See https://www.prayer-alert.net/europe-pa-site/item/11821-germany-jews-told-not-to-wear-skullcaps

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) called on Britain’s NHS to update its policy regarding fertility service coverage, alleging ‘current policy discriminates against transgender people.’ The EHRC wrote a pre-action letter to the NHS pressuring Britain’s health care system to change ‘outdated’ fertility policies, saying that policies should cover the cost of egg-freezing procedures for transgenders because many become infertile as a result of hormone treatments. The transgender and LGBT communities applauded the EHRC objections, ‘We welcome this challenge from the EHRC,’ said Stonewall’s director of campaigns. ‘We know the government are committed to improving health and social care provision for all LGBT people, and addressing barriers to fertility support would be a positive step forward in this process.’ On August 1 Stonewall tweeted, ‘The government consultation on reforming the outdated Gender Recognition Act has launched. We want the voices of trans people and allies heard loud and clear. Find out more #ComeOutForTransEquality in the #GRA consultation