Public Bill Committee: 9 June 2009

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Equality Bill, continued

John Mason

57

Schedule  23,  page  235,  line  17,  at end insert—

‘(da)

to provide services as a means of advancing a religion or belief, or’.

Member’s explanatory statement

Adds to the religious exceptions from the ban on goods and services discrimination. Would protect

someone who provides services as a form of religious mission. In conjunction with the Amendment

to line 20, would, for example, benefit a Christian bed and breakfast business where the proprie­

tors’ goal is to share their faith with guests.

John Mason

58

Schedule  23,  page  235,  line  20,  leave out sub-paragraph (2).

Member’s explanatory statement

Allows commercial religious bodies to benefit from exceptions covering religion and sexual orien­

tation, so long as they also fit within paragraph 2(1).

John Mason

59

Schedule  23,  page  236,  line  18,  leave out sub-paragraph (10).

Member’s explanatory statement

Religious groups that provide services on behalf of public authorities (e.g. Roman Catholic adop­

tion agencies) are allowed to discriminate on grounds of religion but not sexual orientation, the

amendment would allow religious groups to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation where

they can show their faith requires it.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

30

Clause  190,  page  135,  line  23,  at end insert—

‘(5)	An order under subsection (1) may only be made if the Minister can demonstrate

that persons of a specified age are being discriminated against for no legitimate

reason.’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

John Mason

25

Page  135,  line  9,  leave out Clause 190.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

31

Clause  191,  page  136,  line  4,  leave out ‘thinks’ and insert ‘can demonstrate’.

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Equality Bill, continued

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

32

Clause  191,  page  136,  line  9,  leave out ‘thinks’ and insert ‘can demonstrate’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

33

Clause  191,  page  136,  line  16,  leave out ‘thinks’ and insert ‘can demonstrate’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

34

Clause  191,  page  136,  line  23,  leave out ‘thinks’ and insert ‘can demonstrate’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

26

Page  136,  line  1,  leave out Clause 191.

The Solicitor General

89

Clause  199,  page  141,  line  43,  after ‘“Employer”,’, insert ‘“deferred member”,’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement for amendment 65.

The Solicitor General

90

Clause  199,  page  142,  line  2,  at end insert—

‘( )	Nothing in section 26, 30, 79, 85, 90 or 95 is to be regarded as an express

exception.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would clarify that a provision specifying when a particular Part of the Bill, or

Chapter of a Part, does or does not apply is not to be regarded as an express exception.

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Equality Bill, continued

New Clauses

Non-discrimination alterations

The Solicitor General

NC5

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	This section applies if the trustees or managers of an occupational pension

scheme do not have power to make non-discrimination alterations to the scheme.

(2)	This section also applies if the trustees or managers of an occupational pension

scheme have power to make non-discrimination alterations to the scheme but the

procedure for doing so—

(a)	is liable to be unduly complex or protracted, or

(b)	involves obtaining consents which cannot be obtained or which can be

obtained only with undue delay or difficulty.

(3)	The trustees or managers may by resolution make non-discrimination alterations

to the scheme.

(4)	Non-discrimination alterations may have effect in relation to a period before the

date on which they are made.

(5)	Non-discrimination alterations to an occupational pension scheme are such

alterations to the scheme as may be required for the provisions of the scheme to

have the effect that they have in consequence of section 57(3).’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would ensure that trustees and managers of occupational pension schemes have

power to amend scheme documentation so that it conforms to the provisions of the scheme as they

have effect after the operation of the non-discrimination rule.

Free miners

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

NC1

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Dean Forest (Mines) Act 1838 is amended as follows.

(2)	In section XIV (Who shall be deemed Free Miners), line 1, leave out “male”.

(3)	In section XV (Quarrymen to be deemed Free Miners for certain purposes), line

1, leave out “male”.’.

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Equality Bill, continued

Mental Health Act 1983: Members of Parliament

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

John Baron

NC2

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Mental Health Act 1983 is amended as follows.

(2)	Subsections (2) to (7) of section 141 of the Mental Health Act 1983 are deleted.’.

Freedom of religious speech

John Mason

NC3

To move the following Clause:—

‘A public authority shall permit personal religious expression by those working

for the authority to the greatest extent possible, consistent with requirements of

law and the interests of workplace efficiency.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

Imitates the wording of guidelines issued by President Bill Clinton in 1997 to protect religious free

speech in the federal workplace.

Religious exception—employment

John Mason

NC4

To move the following Clause:—

‘Nothing in this Act shall make it unlawful for any organisation whose purpose

is to advance the interests of persons who share a protected characteristic to

require that all employees support and adhere to that purpose.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

Allows any organisation championing the rights of a protected group to require that all employees

support their aims.

Power for the Commission to conduct joint inquiries

John Mason

NC6

To move the following Clause:—

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Equality Bill, continued

‘(1)	The Equality Act 2006 is amended as follows.

(2)	In section 16, after subsection (4), insert—

“(4A)

The Commission may conduct an inquiry under subsection (1) jointly

with one or more other public authorities when—

(a)	the other authority or authorities have comparable inquiry

powers, and

(b)	the matter which is the subject of the inquiry is also a matter

within the responsibilities of the other authority or authorities.”’.

Reasonable adjustments for babies and infants

John Mason

NC7

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision as to a duty on

providers of public services, where a physical feature puts a baby or infant aged

under 5 at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison

with persons of other ages, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to

avoid the disadvantage.

(2)	A reference in this section to a physical feature is a reference to—

(a)	a feature arising from the design or construction of a building;

(b)	a feature of an approach to, exit from or access to a building;

(c)	a fixture or fitting, or furniture, furnishings, materials, equipment or other

chattels, in or on premises or a vehicle;

(d)	a feature arising from the design of a vehicle;

(e)	a feature of an exit from or access to a vehicle;

(f)	any other physical element or quality.

(3)	Any reference in this section to chattels is to be read, in relation to Scotland, as a

reference to moveable property.’.

Gender identity

Lynne Featherstone

Dr Evan Harris

NC8

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	A person has the protected characteristic of gender identity if the person is or is

perceived to be—

(a)	a person intending to undergo, undergoing, or having undergone gender

reassignment, where gender reassignment means a process which is

undertaken under medical supervision for the purpose of reassigning the

person’s sex by changing physiological or other characteristics of sex,

and includes any part of such a process;

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Equality Bill, continued

(b)	a person living permanently in the gender role different from that

expected of a person of their recorded natal sex;

(c)	a person who has, by virtue of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (c.7),

received recognition of their acquired gender for all legal purposes; or

(d)	a person who has a gender identity that is different from that expected of

a person of their recorded natal sex, provided that behaviour is not

unlawful or offensive.

(2)	A reference to a transgender person is a reference to a person who has the

protected characteristic of gender identity.

(3)	In relation to the protected characteristic of gender identity—

(a)	a reference to a person who has a particular protected characteristic is a

reference to a transgender person;

(b)	a reference to persons who share a protected characteristic is a reference

to transgender persons.’.

Disability pay gap information

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

NC9

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	A Minister of the Crown may by regulations require employers to publish

information relating to the pay of employees for the purpose of showing whether,

by reference to factors of such description as is prescibed, there are differences in

the pay of employees who have a disability and employees who do not have a

disability.

(2)	This section does not apply to—

(a)	an employer who has fewer than 250 employees;

(b)	a person specified in Schedule 19.

(3)	The regulations may prescribe—

(a)	descriptions of employer;

(b)	descriptions of employee;

(c)	how to calculate the number of employees that an employer has;

(d)	descriptions of information;

(e)	the time at which information is to be published;

(f)	the form and manner in which it is to be published.

(4)	Regulations under subsection (3)(e) may not require an employer, after the first

publication of information, to publish information more frequently than at

intervals of 12 months.

(5)	The regulations may make provision for a failure to comply with the

regulations—

(a)	to be an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine not

exceeding level 5 on the standard scale;

(b)	to be enforced otherwise than as an offence, by such means as is

prescibed.

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Equality Bill, continued

(6)	The reference to a failure to comply with the regulations includes a reference to

a failure by a person acting on behalf of an employer.’.

Representative actions

Mrs Sharon Hodgson

NC10

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Minister shall make regulations to permit the Equality and Human Rights

Commission or a registered trade union to apply to a court or tribunal as

appropriate for a representative action order in relation to a defined class of

persons (“the class”) who would benefit from the litigation of rights, or common

issues in relation to rights that members of the class may have as a result of the

provisions of this Act.

(2)	The regulations shall make rules in relation to the making and termination of a

representative action order and its conduct.

(3)	Such rules shall provide for hearings to be conducted in private when it is

necessary for the issues between the members of the class and the Equality and

Human Rights Commission or a registered trade union to be resolved and those

issues are subject to legal professional privilege shared by members of the class.

(4)	Such rules shall make provision for the hearing of any issue as defined in

subsection (3) to be undertaken and managed by a different judge or tribunal from

the judge and tribunal that have the responsibility for determining the rights or

common issue in relation to rights, of the member class.’.

Order of the House [11 MAY 2009]

That the following provisions shall apply to the Equality Bill:

Committal

1.	The Bill shall be committed to a Public Bill Committee.

Proceedings in Public Bill Committee

2.	Proceedings in the Public Bill Committee shall (so far as not previously

concluded) be brought to a conclusion on 7 July 2009.

3.	The Public Bill Committee shall have leave to sit twice on the first day on

which it meets.

Consideration and Third Reading

4.	Proceedings on consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the

day on which those proceedings are commenced.

5.	Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on that day.

6.	Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to

proceedings on consideration and Third Reading.

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Revised 9 June 2009