PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION AND EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL TIME LIMIT

That this House notes the key findings of research funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and undertaken by the Equality and Human Rights Commission that some 54,000 women a year are forced out of work by pregnancy or maternity discrimination, and that 77 per cent of working mothers endure negative or discriminatory treatment at work; further notes that 81 per cent of women who responded to a recent survey by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Maternal Mental Health Alliance experienced at least one episode of a mental health problem during or after their pregnancy; is concerned that, due to a lack of free legal advice, the prohibitive cost of employment tribunal fees, and a restrictive time limit of three months, fewer than one per cent of the women affected by pregnancy or maternity discrimination bring an employment tribunal claim; welcomes the clear recommendation by both the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Women and Equalities Committee of this House that the time limit be increased to six months for pregnancy and maternity discrimination claims; and calls on the Government to demonstrate its very welcome commitment to tackling such unlawful discrimination by acting on this recommendation at the earliest possible opportunity.