Following a report from the Women and Equalities Committee criticising the Treasury for a lack of transparency in how they analyse the potential impact of financial decisions on protected groups, Equality and Human Rights Commission Chief Executive Rebecca Hilsenrath said:
It is vital that government makes fair financial decisions with a clear understanding of their cumulative impact. This will assist in effective planning and ensuring that support for individuals, particularly the elderly, children and the disabled, are not disproportionately cut.
It is disappointing the Treasury has not followed our lead and developed a cumulative impact assessment. We urge the government to adopt a methodology that enables them to understand the cumulative impact of financial decision-making. We will be conducting our own assessment in the coming year.
