Clause 79
Equality Bill
7:15 pm
Evan Harris (Oxford West and Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)
I will not pursue that point. I assume that something in the corresponding schedule makes it clear that one cannot exclude a pupil on the grounds of maternity under sex discrimination provisions. However, the Solicitor-General did not say why that was. She did not address my example of admission. Notwithstanding the public sector duty, a school would have the right not to admit a pupil simply on the basis that she was pregnant under discrimination law. As such a person would not be the school’s pupil, which is the term the Solicitor-General used in explanation of the public sector duty and the teenage pregnancy code, it is not clear why the school could not do that. I do not see why we should not use the opportunity of discrimination legislation to deal with that issue if we can. I would be grateful if she addressed the issue of admission.