Handling Inappropriate Questions in an Interview
Occasionally, you may be interviewed by someone who asks inappropriate questions. These may fall into the category of being ‘politically incorrect’ or may just put you in a difficult position. You should consider how to deal with this situation, just in case.
Think about : What kinds of question would feel inappropriate to me? If I get asked this kind of question, what does that say about the organisation I am applying to? How could I deal with inappropriate questions?

Any question which does not relate directly to your ability to do the job may be considered inappropriate. Some of these questions which also ask about personal circumstances may be unfairly discriminatory if your answers are taken into account when your potential employer is making the selection of the successful candidate.

Examples of such questions in the United Kingdom might be:
Are you married, divorced, or single?
Are you planning to start a family?
Do you have any children? How old are they?
Will your husband / wife/ partner move if we offer you this job?
How would you feel working for a white female boss?
Why would a woman want a job like this?
How will you cope with all the travel bearing in mind you’re confined to a wheelchair?
How will you cope with speaking to customers on the phone with English as your second language?

Note that there are some questions about personal circumstances, such as physical ability, specific capability, previous convictions, or religion that might not necessarily be discriminatory for some roles. Before responding, consider the possible reasons the interviewer is asking you what seems to be an inappropriate question:
Ice–breaking: In some instances you might feel that the interviewer is trying to be friendly and asking you some nice easy questions to ‘break the ice’.
Nerve–calming: The interviewer may be nervous, or detect that you are anxious and ask you some questions about your hobbies or likes and dislikes to get you onto familiar territory.
Bonding: The interviewer might identify with something you say or wrote inyour application, eg ‘active member of local Christian society’ and want to find some common ground.
You may be being interviewed by someone who is unskilled in interviewing and does not realise their question is inappropriate.
In some circumstances, your interviewer may be asking a question designed to assess your suitability for the job based on unlawful or inappropriate criteria.
Try not to feel intimidatedby inappropriate questions. You have a right to be treated professionally and with dignity.

• Check you have understood the question, by asking them to clarify what they are asking, ‘I’m not sure I understand your question, could you rephrase it for me?’ This also gives your interviewer an opportunity to rephrase the question if it was clumsily posed the first time.
• Compliance: Answer the question.
• Avoidance: Ignore the question and change the subject.
• Humour: Respond to the question as if it were a joke, giving the interviewer an opportunity to save face and to ask more appropriate questions.
• Assertive confrontation: Asking the interviewer, ‘I’m not sure why you’re asking me that. Would you mind explaining the reason behind asking that question so that I can give you a proper answer?’

If you really want the job, you may decide to overlook the question.
If the question is so offensive that you know you could never work for this company, you may want to be more confrontational. Some people may see every comment as a potential insult, and leap to conclusions about why a particular question is being asked. Such people are unlikely to get the job.
If you feel yourself overreacting, remember: a job interview is probably not the best place to make a point about your political values.
Also, most inappropriate interview questions result from the interviewer’s lack of interviewing skill.

You are not forced to answer any questions in an interview that make you feel uncomfortable.

Be prepared. If you suspect that you may be asked an inappropriate question because of your gender, age or other personal circumstances, consider in advance what kinds of question you may feel are inappropriate and prepare possible responses.

The worst types of inappropriate questions are sometimes also unlawful.
Anti-discrimination legislation attempts to ensure employers make their selection decisions based on fair and objective criteria. The interview is there to assess you on those criteria.
Interviewers should avoid asking unfairly discriminatory questions.

The Equality Act 2010 encapsulates the UK legislation regarding discrimination.
It requires equal treatment in access to employment as well as private and public services, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_Act_2010