House of Commons portcullis
House of Commons
Session 2008 - 09
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament


 
 

Notices of Amendments: 11 June 2009                     

138

 

Equality Bill, continued

 
 

‘(4A)    

A trade organisation must not ask for details of an applicant’s health or

 

disabilities before an offer of membership to which subsection (4) applies has

 

been made except in so far as necessary to make reasonable adjustments to the

 

selection process.’.

 

Mr Mark Harper

 

John Penrose

 

Mr John Baron

 

213

 

Clause  38,  page  28,  line  2,  after ‘worker’, insert ‘with a protected characteristic

 

compared to a contract worker without a protected characteristic’.

 

Mr Mark Harper

 

John Penrose

 

Mr John Baron

 

214

 

Clause  38,  page  28,  line  10,  after ‘worker’, insert ‘with a protected characteristic

 

compared to a contract worker without a protected characteristic’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

215

 

Clause  10,  page  7,  line  23,  at end insert—

 

‘(4)    

The meaning of religion or belief does not include whether, or the degree to

 

which, a person has one or more of another protected characteristic.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This is to make sure that organisations or individuals can not use exemptions based on religion or

 

belief to discriminate on another ground for example against persons whose lifestyle, because they

 

are gay or unmarried, is not consistent with orthodox practice of that religion or belief.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

216

 

Clause  10,  page  7,  line  23,  at end insert—

 

‘(4)    

The meaning of religion or belief does not include the degree of support for

 

matters of public policy or for the policies of a political party.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This is to make sure that organisations or individuals which are quasi-political can not benefit

 

from exemptions based on religion or belief.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

217

 

Clause  12,  page  8,  line  16,  at end add—

 

‘(3)    

Sexual orientation includes manifestations of that sexual orientation.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This is to put clearly into statute law stemming from eg Amicus vs Secretary of State where it was

 

held that a religious organisation could not avoid sexual orientation discrimination by referring

 

to lifestyle matters which were a lawful and direct expression of sexual orientation.’.


 
 

Notices of Amendments: 11 June 2009                     

139

 

Equality Bill, continued

 
 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

218

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  line  22,  at end insert—

 

‘(6A)    

If the protected characteristic is sexual orientation it does not matter whether the

 

sexual orientation is also A’s

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This is to probe why the provision in Clause 13(6) which applies to religion and belief does not in

 

fact apply to other strands.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

219

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  leave out lines 21 and 22 and insert—

 

‘(6)    

It does not matter if the protected characteristic that B has is also shared by A.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This is to probe why the provision in Clause 13(6) which applies to religion and belief does not in

 

fact apply to other strands.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

220

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  line  27,  at end insert—

 

‘(7A)    

If the protected characteristic is sexual orientation, A discriminates against B if A

 

treats less favourably than A treats or would treat others on the basis of a

 

manifestation of B’s sexual orientation.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This is make explicit in statute the case law (eg from Amicus vs Secretary of State) which holds that

 

discrimination against gay people on account of their gay life style or camp appearance (for

 

example) is direct discrimination.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

221

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  line  20,  at end insert—

 

‘(5A)    

If the protected characteristic is religion or belief, for the purposes of this section,

 

a claim for direct discrimination on that protected ground can not solely rely on

 

A treating B less favourably on the basis of a manifestation of B’s religion or

 

belief.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This is to make explicit in statute existing case law from the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Ladele

 

vs Islington, that one can not claim direct discrimination when one is treated adversely solely on

 

the basis of behaviour stemming from a religious belief.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

222

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  line  6,  at end insert—

 

‘(1A)    

This section applies to a person (B) who is perceived by A to have a protected

 

characteristic, regardless of whether B does in fact have that characteristic.

 

(1B)    

This section applies to a person (B) who has an association with a person who has

 

a protected characteristic.’.


 
 

Notices of Amendments: 11 June 2009                     

140

 

Equality Bill, continued

 
 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This is put into statute two provisions which are explicitly and implicitly provided for by the

 

relevant directive and by case law.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

223

 

Clause  16,  page  11,  line  22,  leave out from ‘if’ to ‘A’ in line 23.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This seeks to probe why protection from discrimination on the grounds of breast-feeding is

 

restricted to 26 weeks under this section.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

224

 

Clause  18,  page  13,  line  23,  at end add ‘pregnancy and maternity’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This is to probe why pregnancy and maternity are omitted from the list of protected characteristics

 

for indirect discrimination.

 


 
previous section contents
 
House of Commons home page Houses of Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries

© Parliamentary copyright 2009
Revised 12 June 2009