Kevin Foster – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Foster on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government plans to give people with dyslexia in the armed forces protection under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Mark Lancaster

There are no plans to extend the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to cover Service personnel who have dyslexia. The Defence Direction for Specific Learning Difficulties (contained within Joint Service Publication 898 ‘Defence Direction and Guidance on Training, Education and Skills’) provides direction to all Service personnel who have dyslexia, and line managers, trainers and commanders who are required to manage Service personnel with dyslexia. It provides a learning support framework for those identified with dyslexia, ensuring that the Ministry of Defence meets its obligations as a responsible employer.