George Osborne investigated by EHRC over cuts

Chancellor George Osborne is to be investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) over whether the Treasury upheld its statutory duty to assess the impact of the spending review on women, disabled and ethnic minority people.

In a statement the equalities watchdog said: "Under the public sector equality duties, covering race, gender and disability, the Treasury, like all public bodies, has a legal duty to pay 'due regard' to equality and consider any disproportionate impact on protected groups when making decisions, including decisions about the budget. Where decisions are found to have a disproportionate impact on a particular group protected by the legislation, public bodies must consider what actions can be taken to avoid, mitigate or justify that impact."

The Labour party’s Equality Shadow Minister Yvette Cooper hit out at the coalition government:

"George Osborne clearly has something to hide. Parliamentary questions are being ducked, freedom of information requests delayed and the commission stopped in getting all the facts. Time and time again the Treasury are blocking legitimate questions about the facts and fairness of their plans. It's now crystal clear that this government are hitting women and families much harder than men – they just don't want the truth to get out."

Yvette Cooper produced research over the summer which claimed that women would be adversely effected by the cuts the coalition government were committed to. Home Secretary Theresa May dismissed the research however it emerged afterward that May had written to the Chancellor before his emergency budget in June to caution that the it could fall foul of equalities legislation.

The EHRC aims to publish the results of the investigation next summer and has the power to apply to the courts to force the Treasury to comply.