New Bill will Declutter Equality Law

Posted on June 18, 2008
Filed Under England, Equality, Government, Legal Police, Wales | Comments Off

Minister for Women Harriet Harman says that the new Equality Bill will declutter and simplify legislation, making it easier for small businesses and individuals to understand equality law.

The forthcoming legislation will sweep away more than 1,000 pages of legislation, replacing them with one Bill. It will replace nine major pieces of legislation and around 100 other measures, spanning forty years, from the 1970 Equal Pay Act through to the 2006 Equality Act, as well as the Disability Discrimination Act and Sex Discrimination Act.

Speaking at the launch of ‘Talent not Tokenism’, a joint report from the CBI and TUC, Ms Harman will said: “It is right that equality is underpinned by legislation, as well as by good practice. Successive governments have built a framework of equality laws which between them protect people from unfairness and discrimination on grounds of race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation and disability.

“But to work, equality legislation must be clear and understandable – both by those whom it is intended to protect, and by those, like businesses, who are expected to comply with it.

“It is hard for people to see the outline, the shape and purpose of our equality legislation. Let alone for individuals to see how it helps them, and for businesses to implement it with confidence.

“So it is time for a major decluttering exercise. And that is what we will do with our new Equality Bill.”

Richard Lambert, CBI director-general, said:

“The new Equality Bill must strike a sensible balance between the wish for greater consistency in equality laws and solutions that are relevant and workable. As the joint CBI/TUC report “Talent not tokenism” shows, employers are getting on with improving diversity in the workplace – and it is delivering real benefits. Legislation should be there to support them in this task, not to distract them.”

Further details on the Equality Bill will be published in the summer. The Bill is expected to be introduced in to the next Parliamentary session, starting in November.

The Equality Bill will replace the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Part 2 Equality Act 2006, the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, and the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007, plus other ancillary pieces of legislation.

Notes

* Harriet Harman was speaking on Tuesday 3rd June 2008 at the launch of the CBI and TUC report ‘Talent not Tokenism’ at Centrepoint in London.

* The Equality and Human Rights Commission was created last year by the Government. It bought together the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Disability Rights Commission, and the Commission for Racial Equality.

* The Government Equalities Office is responsible for the Government’s overall strategy and priorities on equality issues. It was established in July 2007. The Office has responsibility for policy on gender equality, issues around sexual orientation, and for integrating work on race and religion or belief into the overall equality framework. http://www.equalities.gov.uk

Source http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=369281&NewsAreaID=2

Download a copy of the report / guidelines Talent not Tokenism – pdf format

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Equality Bill

The purpose of this Bill is to make Britain a fairer place, where people have the opportunity to succeed whatever their race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs. Fairness and an absence of discrimination are the hallmarks of a modern, decent society, with a strong economy, which draws on the talents of all.

The main elements of this Bill are:
* making Britain fairer through a single equality duty which will require public bodies to consider the diverse needs and requirements of their workforce, and the communities they serve, when developing employment policies and planning services
* making public bodies more transparent – if inequality remains hidden, it can’t be measured and progress cannot be made
* improving enforcement
* allowing political parties to use all-women election shortlists until 2030
* making the law more accessible and easier to understand by bringing together nine major pieces of legislation and around 100 other laws in a single Bill

Making your voice heard – consultation
If you would like to comment on this Bill, follow this link

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