Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

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Equality Bill, continued

(e)	a requirement not to be married to, or the civil partner of, a person who

has a living former spouse or civil partner;

(f)	a requirement relating to circumstances in which a marriage or civil

partnership came to an end;

(g)	a requirement related to sexual orientation.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

Place the exceptions from paragraph 2 of Schedule 9 into paragraph 3, which has a broader

framework. This would provide wider protection for the freedom of association of religious bodies.

The Solicitor General

69

Schedule  9,  page  182,  line  26,  leave out ‘52(1)(b) or (c) or (2)(a) or (b)’ and insert

‘52(1) or (2)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would expand the scope of the exception in paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 9

(permitting discrimination in relation to work for which having a particular protected

characteristic is an occupational requirement) so that it applies to all circumstances in Clause

52(1) or (2) giving rise to liability.

The Solicitor General

70

Schedule  9,  page  182,  line  30,  after ‘52’, insert ‘(1) or (2)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would limit the exception in paragraph 5(2) of Schedule 9 (permitting

discrimination in relation to training for work for which having a particular protected

characteristic is an occupational requirement) so that it applies to discrimination only and not

harassment or victimisation.

The Solicitor General

71

Schedule  9,  page  182,  line  33,  leave out ‘52(1)(b) or (c) or (2)(a) or (b)’ and insert

‘52(1) or (2)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would expand the scope of the exception in paragraph 5(3) of Schedule 9

(permitting discrimination in reliance on a statement that a particular protected characteristic is

an occupational requirement) so that it applies to all circumstances in Clause 52(1) or (2) giving

rise to liability.

Mr David Drew

184

Schedule  9,  page  183,  line  25,  leave out paragraph 8.

Mr David Drew

185

Schedule  9,  page  183,  line  35,  leave out paragraph 9.

The Solicitor General

72

Schedule  9,  page  188,  line  17,  at end insert—

‘( )	section 38(1) and (3);’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would bring Clause 38(1) and (3) within the scope of paragraph 19(1) of

Schedule 9. A principal would not then be liable under Clause 38 for discrimination or

victimisation relating to the provision of a benefit, facility or service to the public (as in existing

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

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Equality Bill, continued

law).

The Solicitor General

73

Schedule  9,  page  188,  line  26,  at end insert—

‘( )	in relation to section 38(1) and (3), the other contract workers supplied

to the principal;’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would provide that “comparable persons” means other contract workers

supplied to a principal, when determining whether provision of a benefit, facility or service by a

principal to a contract worker differs in a material respect for the purposes of paragraph 19(3)(a)

of Schedule 9.

The Solicitor General

74

Schedule  9,  page  188,  line  32,  at end insert—

‘( )	the terms on which the principal allows B to do the contract work,’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would provide that “B’s terms” means the terms on which the principal allows a

contract worker to work, when determining whether the provision of a benefit, facility or service

by the principal is regulated by B’s terms for the purposes of paragraph 19(3)(b) of Schedule 9.

John Mason

100

Clause  79,  page  59,  line  37,  leave out paragraph (c).

Dr Evan Harris

Lynne Featherstone

233

Clause  80,  page  16,  line  11,  leave out subsection (10).

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 6 (education). Harassment is defined in a

more limited way.

The Solicitor General

75

Clause  92,  page  70,  line  6,  after ‘a’, insert ‘relevant’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment and amendments 76 and 77 would make in relation to educational qualifications

corrections corresponding to the corrections that amendments 62 and 63 would make in relation

to work qualifications.

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

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Equality Bill, continued

The Solicitor General

76

Clause  92,  page  70,  line  7,  after ‘a’, insert ‘relevant’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See the explanatory statement for amendment 75.

The Solicitor General

77

Clause  92,  page  70,  line  7,  at end insert—

‘( )	A reference in section 91(8), (10) or (11) to a qualification is a reference to a

relevant qualification.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See the explanatory statement for amendment 75.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

202

Schedule  13,  page  203,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(2A)

For the purposes of this paragraph, the reference in section 19(3), (4) and (5)

to a disabled person is to disabled persons generally.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

An amendment to ensure that the anticipatory nature of the duty to make reasonable adjustments

is retained in education as in Disability Discrimination Act by providing that the duty applies to

‘disabled persons’ not only to an individual disabled person.

The Solicitor General

78

Clause  95,  page  70,  line  26,  leave out subsection (3).

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment is consequential on amendment 90.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

203

Clause  99,  page  73,  line  22,  at end insert—

‘(f)	internal party elections.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment allows political parties to positively discriminate in their own internal elections,

such as elections for executive members on local councils.

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

208

Equality Bill, continued

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

204

Clause  101,  page  74,  line  3,  at end insert—

‘(2A)

An association is deemed to have at least 25 members for the purposes of

subsection (1)(a) if it has been reconstituted or formed out of an association of at

least 25 members.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

An amendment to prevent an association from reconstituting itself into many separate associations

as a means of avoiding the duties under the Act.

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

205

Clause  101,  page  74,  line  4,  leave out subsection (3).

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment prevents the Government from reducing or increasing the number of members an

association must have to be covered by this Act.

The Solicitor General

79

Schedule  15,  page  207,  line  35,  leave out from ‘who’ to end of line 36 and insert

‘—

(a)	are, or are seeking to become or might wish to become, members,

(b)	are associates, or

(c)	are, or are likely to become, guests.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment and amendment 80 would expand the scope of the duty on associations to make

reasonable adjustments so that the duty applies in relation to prospective members and guests. The

omission of provision to that effect from the Bill on introduction was an oversight.

The Solicitor General

80

Schedule  15,  page  208,  line  1,  leave out from ‘relevant’ to end of line 2 and insert

‘matters are—

(a)	access to a benefit, facility or service;

(b)	being admitted to membership or invited as a guest.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement for amendment 79.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

16

Clause  118,  page  85,  line  28,  leave out paragraph (c).

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Equality Bill, continued

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

17

Clause  118,  page  85,  line  29,  leave out subsection (3) and insert—

‘(3)	In the event that an employment tribunal finds that an employer has contravened

a term modified or included by an equality clause, the employer shall be required

to undertake an audit, to be known as an equal pay audit, and to make the results

of the audit available in a manner prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary

of State.’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

18

Clause  118,  page  86,  line  8,  leave out subsection (7).

The Solicitor General

81

Clause  130,  page  95,  line  27,  after ‘offence’, insert ‘under this Act’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would remove an inconsistency between Clause 107(7)(a) and Clause 130(5).

The Solicitor General

82

Clause  138,  page  100,  line  16,  after ‘of’, insert ‘or made under’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would expand the scope of Clause 138(1) to render unenforceable a contractual

term which purports to exclude or limit a provision made under the Bill in addition to a provision

of the Bill itself. The amendment would complement the provisions already in the Bill.

The Solicitor General

83

Clause  138,  page  100,  line  19,  after ‘of’, insert ‘or made under’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would expand the scope of Clause 138(2) to render unenforceable a relevant non-

contractual term which purports to exclude or limit a provision made under the Bill in addition to

a provision of the Bill itself. The amendment would complement the provisions already in the Bill.

Mr Tim Boswell

242

Clause  143,  page  105,  line  13,  at end insert—

Public Bill Committee: 18 June 2009

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Equality Bill, continued

‘(d)	respect and protect the human rights of any person for whom it has

responsibility, whether or not they have a relevant protected

characteristic.’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

19

Clause  143,  page  105,  line  14,  at beginning insert ‘Subsection (1) will also apply

to’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

20

Clause  143,  page  105,  leave out lines 15 and 16 and insert ‘except in relation to matters

of employment’.

John Mason

49

Clause  143,  page  105,  line  32,  at end insert—

‘(4A)

Having due regard to the need to foster good relations between persons who share

a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves

ensuring a proper balance between the rights of persons who share a relevant

protected characteristic and the rights of persons who share a different relevant

protected characteristic.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

Prevents public authorities using the public sector equality duty to favour the rights of one group

over another.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

21

Clause  143,  page  105,  line  35,  at end insert—

‘(5A)

A public authority must collect and publish data annually showing, in the exercise

of its functions, the extent to which it has succeeded in meeting the requirements

under subsection (1).’.

John Mason

50

Schedule  18,  page  216,  leave out lines 21 to 24.

Member’s explanatory statement

The Commons, the Lords, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly are exempt from the

public sector equality duty. This amendment would remove those exemptions.

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Penrose

Mr John Baron

192

Schedule  18,  page  216,  line  31,  at end insert—

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211

Equality Bill, continued

‘(j)	persons involved in the commissioning, content and broadcast of

programmes.’.

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Penrose

Mr John Baron

193

Schedule  18,  page  216,  line  44,  at end insert—

‘(g)	a function in connection with the commissioning, content and broadcast

of programmes.’.

John Mason

51

Page  107,  line  6,  leave out Clause 145.

Member’s explanatory statement

Removes all ministerial order-making powers related to the public sector equality duty. This would

require the Government to use primary legislation instead.

John Mason

52

Page  107,  line  29,  leave out Clause 146.

Member’s explanatory statement

Removes all ministerial order-making powers related to the public sector equality duty. This would

require the Government to use primary legislation instead.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

22

Clause  147,  page  108,  line  27,  at end insert—

‘(5)	Before regulations are made under this section, there must be laid before both

Houses of Parliament—

(a)	draft regulations, and

(b)	evidence that the regulations will enable the better performance by public

authorities of the duty imposed by subsection (1).’.

John Mason

53

Page  108,  line  18,  leave out Clause 147.

Member’s explanatory statement

Removes all ministerial order-making powers related to the public sector equality duty. This would

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Revised 18 June 2009