asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the rationale for placing responsibility for equalities with the Department for Communities and Local Government, save for anti-age discrimination, which has been placed with the Department for Work and Pensions. [HL2831]

The Department for Communities and Local Government brings together responsibilities from across government for social cohesion and equality, recognising the importance of equality across government and the necessity of collaboration in delivery. There is a natural synergy between matters of equality and the way we live in our communities. In taking forward these responsibilities, the Department for Communities and Local Government has a wider role as a champion of equality across government, in close liaison with the Department for Work and Pensions, which has lead responsibility for policy on disability and age equality policy because of the close links with welfare reform and pensions, and the Department of Trade and Industry, with its responsibilities in the field of employment.