191

House of Commons

Thursday 18 June 2009

Public Bill Committee

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

Equality Bill

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Note

The Amendments have been arranged according to the Order of the Committee

[2 June 2009].

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

170

Clause  19,  page  14,  line  4,  leave out ‘in comparison with persons who are not

disabled’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

171

Clause  19,  page  14,  line  7,  leave out ‘in comparison with persons who are not

disabled’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

172

Clause  19,  page  14,  line  10,  leave out subsection (5) and insert—

‘(5)	The third requirement is a requirement to provide an auxiliary aid or service

where it would enable disabled persons to make use of, or facilitate the use by

disabled persons, of a service or other relevant matter, and to take such steps as it

is reasonable to have to take to provide the auxiliary aid.’.

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

192

Equality Bill, continued

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

173

Clause  19,  page  14,  line  12,  leave out ‘in comparison with persons who are not

disabled’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

174

Clause  19,  page  14,  line  13,  at end insert—

‘(5A)

For the purposes of the application of Parts 3 (services and public functions) and

6 (education), the requirements set out in subsections (3), (4) and (5) apply where

disabled persons generally are or may be put at a substantial disadvantage in

relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled.’.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

154

Clause  19,  page  14,  line  15,  at end insert—

‘(6A)

In taking reasonable steps to avoid the disadvantage, A must take such steps as

afford disabled people equal access or, if that is not practicable, to approximate

access to, that enjoyed by the rest of the public, to the matter in the applicable

schedule to which the duty to make adjustments applies.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment will clarify that duty holders must implement the most inclusive solution—subject

to the usual test of ‘reasonableness’—in order to comply with the duty to make reasonable

adjustments.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

155

Clause  22,  page  15,  line  26,  leave out ‘, 18 or 19’ and insert ‘or 18’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment removes what is an additional ‘like for like’ comparator test from the duty to make

reasonable adjustments.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

131

Clause  24,  page  17,  line  18,  leave out ‘a’ and insert ‘one or more than one’.

Member’s explanatory statement

An amendment to permit claims of direct discrimination and harassment on multiple form of

discrimination.

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

193

Equality Bill, continued

Dr Evan Harris

Lynne Featherstone

230

Clause  24,  page  17,  line  26,  at beginning insert, ‘Subject to subsections (2A), (2B),

(2C) and (2D),’.

John Mason

38

Clause  24,  page  17,  line  27,  leave out ‘or’ and insert ‘and’.

Member’s explanatory statement

Raises the threshold in the definition of harassment in order to mirror the wording of EU Directive

2000/78/EC, Article 2.3.

Dr Evan Harris

Lynne Featherstone

231

Clause  24,  page  17,  line  29,  at end insert—

‘(2A)

Subject to subsection (2D) where the protected characteristic is sexual

orientation, for the purposes of Part 3 (Services and Public Functions), the

purpose or effect is—

(a)	violating B’s dignity; and

(b)	creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive

environment for B.

(2B)	Where the protected characteristic is sexual orientation or gender re-assignment,

for the purposes of Part 6 (Education), the purpose or effect is—

(a)	violating B’s dignity; and

(b)	creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive

environment for B.

(2C)	Subject to subsection (2D) where the relevant characteristic is religion or belief,

for the purposes of Part 3 and Part 6, the purpose or effect is—

(a)	violating B’s dignity; and

(b)	creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading or humiliating environment

for B.

(2D)	Subsection (2A) and (2C) apply to Part 3 (Services and Public Functions) only

where the provision of a service is—

(a)	carried out by a public authority,

(b)	carried out on behalf of a public authority,

(c)	carried out under contract to a public authority, or

(d)	otherwise carried out in the exercise of a public function.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment extends protection against harassment on grounds of sexual orientation, gender

reassignment and religion or belief in relation to part 3 (where exercising a public function) and

part 6. Harassment is defined in a more limited way.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

120

Clause  24,  page  17,  line  37,  leave out ‘reassignment’ and insert ‘identity’.

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

194

Equality Bill, continued

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

121

Clause  24,  page  17,  line  42,  leave out ‘reassignment’ and insert ‘identity’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

175

Clause  24,  page  18,  line  3,  at end add—

‘(6)	If the protected characteristic is disability, this section applies to a person who is

perceived to have a disability.’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

10

Clause  26,  page  19,  line  3,  leave out paragraph (a).

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

196

Clause  26,  page  19,  line  3,  at end insert ‘, so far as relating to any goods or services

which are not provided by or on behalf of a public authority’.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

156

Clause  26,  page  19,  line  4,  leave out paragraph (b).

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment extends protection against discrimination in the provisions of goods and services

because a person is married or in a civil partnership.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

197

Clause  26,  page  19,  line  4,  at end insert—

‘(c)	sex, except for any goods or services which are provided by or on behalf

of a public authority.’.

The Solicitor General

60

Clause  26,  page  19,  line  8,  leave out subsection (3).

Member’s explanatory statement

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

195

Equality Bill, continued

This amendment is consequential on amendment 90.

Dr Evan Harris

Lynne Featherstone

232

Clause  27,  page  20,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(8A)

Subsection 8 applies only where the provision of the service is not—

(a)	carried out by a public authority;

(b)	carried out on behalf of a public authority;

(c)	carried out under contract to a public authority, or

(d)	otherwise carried out in the exercise of a public function.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment extends protection against harassment on grounds of sexual orientation and

religion or belief in relation to part 3 (where exercising a public function). Harassment is defined

in a more limited way.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

176

Schedule  2,  page  147,  leave out lines 32 to 34 and insert—

‘“(a)

to remove the feature, or

(b)	to alter the feature, or

(c)	to provide a reasonable means of avoiding the feature, or

(d)	to adopt a reasonable method of providing the service or exercising the

function.”’.

John Mason

39

Schedule  3,  page  150,  line  6,  leave out paragraph 1.

Member’s explanatory statement

Parliament is exempt from the ban on discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the exercise

of its public functions. This amendment would remove that exemption.

John Mason

40

Schedule  3,  page  150,  line  14,  leave out paragraph 2.

Member’s explanatory statement

Parliament’s legislative functions are exempt from the ban on discrimination, harassment and

victimisation. This amendment would remove that exemption.

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

196

Equality Bill, continued

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

162

Schedule  3,  page  151,  line  14,  at end insert ‘to the extent that the discrimination is

a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment imposes the ‘legitimate aim’ test when armed forces want to treat a person

detrimentally.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

123

Schedule  3,  page  151,  line  18,  leave out ‘reassignment’ and insert ‘identity’.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

159

Schedule  3,  page  153,  line  9,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

In assessing risk in sub-paragraph (1)(a) a blood service cannot make an

assumption of risk that relies on all people of a protected characteristic sharing

the same risk.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment makes clear that blood services cannot use blanket assessments of risk based on

people of a protected characteristic, such as their sexual orientation, sharing the same level of risk.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

160

Schedule  3,  page  154,  line  10,  leave out from ‘following’ to end of line 11.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment redrafts the exception in the application of disability discrimination to

immigration matters.

John Mason

101

Schedule  3,  page  154,  line  11,  leave out ‘for the public good’ and insert ‘to protect

public health’.

John Mason

102

Schedule  3,  page  154,  line  13,  leave out ‘or remain in’.

John Mason

103

Schedule  3,  page  154,  line  14,  leave out ‘or remain in’.

John Mason

104

Schedule  3,  page  154,  line  15,  leave out ‘or remain in’.

John Mason

105

Schedule  3,  page  154,  line  16,  leave out ‘or remain in’.

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

197

Equality Bill, continued

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

161

Schedule  3,  page  154,  line  22,  at end insert—

‘(5)	Section 27 does not apply in relation to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4) only to the

extent that any treatment, or a failure to comply with a duty, are a proportionate

means of achieving a legitimate aim.

(6)	Regulations may make provision for purposes of sub-paragraph (5) as to

circumstances in which treatment, or a failure to comply with a duty, is to be

taken to be justified, to the extent that those regulations are a proportionate means

of achieving a legitimate aim’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment redrafts the exception in the application of disability discrimination to

immigration matters.

John Mason

106

Schedule  3,  page  155,  leave out lines 14 to 26.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

124

Schedule  3,  page  157,  line  20,  leave out ‘reassignment’ and insert ‘identity’.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

125

Schedule  3,  page  159,  line  5,  leave out ‘reassignment’ and insert ‘identity’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

11

Clause  30,  page  22,  line  6,  leave out paragraph (a).

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

163

Clause  30,  page  22,  line  7,  leave out paragraph (b).

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment extends protection against discrimination because someone is married or in a

civil partnership as it relates to premises.

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Revised 18 June 2009