Age Equality Commission Bill

House of Commons

Session 1999-2000
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Age Equality Commission Bill

This is the text of the Age Equality Commission Bill, as presented to the House of Commons on 12 July 2000.

Age Equality Commission Bill

ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES

Clause

1. Age Equality Commission.

2. Interpretation.

3. Financial provisions.

4. Short title and extent.

A
B I L L

TO
Make provision for the establishment of an Age Equality Commission to advise the Government on discrimination issues in relation to older people.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

Age Equality Commission.     1. - (1) There shall be a body corporate known as the Age Equality Commission (in this Act referred to as "the Commission").

    (2) The Commission shall-

(a) advise the Secretary of State on matters relating to age discrimination;

(b) provide an assessment of the potential impact of any proposed legislation on older people;

(c) advise the Secretary of State on the preparation of detailed guidelines on the implementation of schemes to address age discrimination issues for businesses, voluntary organisations and public sector organisations;

(d) advise the Secretary of State on how to promote equality of treatment for older people and policies which further the interests of older people in business and in the wider community.

    (3) When preparing guidelines or legislative assessments under subsection (2) the Commission shall-

(a) consult relevant bodies; and

(b) take into account-

(i) the possible costs of compliance; and

(ii) any benefits that would result from the implementation of its recommendations.

    (4) The Commission shall publish any guidelines or legislative assessments prepared by it under subsection (2).

    (5) The Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument-

(a) make such provision as he considers necessary with respect to the membership, terms of appointment, remuneration, pensions, staff, premises and proceedings of the Commission;

(b) confer additional functions on the Commission.

Interpretation.     2. In this Act-

"age equality" means the absence of discrimination on the basis of a person's age;

"discrimination" means-

(a) the denial or removal of rights customarily held by persons residing in the United Kingdom, or

(b) the creation of additional conditions that must be satisfied before rights customarily held by persons residing in the United Kingdom are granted;

"older person" means a person who has attained the age of fifty.

Financial provisions.     3. There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament any expenditure of the Secretary of State attributable to this Act.

Short title and extent.     4. - (1) This Act may be cited as the Age Equality Commission Act 2000.

    (2) This Act extends to Scotland.

© Parliamentary copyright 2000
Prepared 20 July 2000