Clause 27
Equality Bill
2:15 pm
Mark Harper (Shadow Minister, Work & Pensions; Forest of Dean, Conservative)
I have one question for the Minister, to clarify something, which I hope will save us some time later. I want to check that education and provision of schools are included in the provision of services. Given that clause 27 states:
“A duty to make reasonable adjustments applies to...a service-provider”,
will the duty apply to schools? Will the duty in clause 19(5), relating to the need to provide auxiliary aid also apply to schools? I ask that rather convoluted question because there is a concern about schedule 13. An organisation has asked us to table an amendment to that schedule because it says that the requirement for a school to provide auxiliary aid does not currently apply. From reading clauses 19 and 27, it seems that schools would have to do so. If that is the case, we will not need to trouble ourselves with an amendment to schedule 13, which will save us some time later on. I would be most grateful if the Minister could answer my question.