The Equality Bill

This Bill has been published in a trial format. The Equality Bill and Explanatory Notes are printed in a single publication.

The Bill has now completed its committee stage and will be reprinted to incorporate the changes made during committee consideration of the Bill and is waiting for its report stage on the floor of the House.

Summary of the Bill:

Makes provision to require public bodies to have regard to the desirability of reducing socio-economic inequalities.
Introduces new equality duties for public bodies on age, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people, religion and belief, pregnant and nursing women.
Extends the rights of the disabled not to be discriminated against in the provision and access to goods and services.
Certain employers will be required to publish information about the differences in pay between male and female employees; it will also prohibit restrictive contract clauses that do not allow employees to talk about what they earn.
Introduces further equality through buying services for public bodies. The Bill will allow the Government to make public bodies take action about equality when procuring goods and services.
Introduces discrimination by association.
Promotes more positive action in respect of job applicants.
Extends disability discrimination to ‘Discrimination ARISING from disability’. This is a new provision and is explained thus;

This clause provides that it is discrimination to treat a disabled person in a particular way which, because of his or her disability, amounts to treating him or her badly and the treatment cannot be shown to be justified. For this type of discrimination to occur, the employer or other person must know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that the disabled person has a disability. Also the person who treats the disabled person in that way may still be liable for discrimination under this provision, whether or not the duty to make reasonable adjustments has been complied with.