Public Bill Committee: 16 June 2009

162

Equality Bill, continued

The Solicitor General

228

Clause  53,  page  42,  line  4,  leave out subsection (7).

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement for amendment 226.

The Solicitor General

229

Clause  53,  page  42,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘( )	A reference to the provision of a vocational service is a reference to the provision

of an employment service within subsection (2)(a) to (d) (or an employment

service within subsection (2)(f) or (g) in so far as it is also an employment service

within subsection (2)(a) to (d)); and for that purpose—

(a)	the references to an employment service within subsection (2)(a) do not

include a reference to vocational training within the meaning given by

subsection (8)(b), and

(b)	the references to an employment service within subsection (2)(d) also

include a reference to a service for assisting persons to retain

employment.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement for amendment 226.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

211

Clause  54,  page  42,  line  20,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

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

disabilities before an offer of membership to which subsection (1) 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

212

Clause  54,  page  42,  line  34,  at end insert—

‘(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.’.

Public Bill Committee: 16 June 2009

163

Equality Bill, continued

The Solicitor General

65

Clause  58,  page  45,  line  19,  leave out from ‘person’ to ‘scheme’ in line 20 and

insert ‘who is a pension credit member of an occupational pension scheme as they apply

in relation to a disabled person who is a deferred member or pensioner member of the’.

Member’s explanatory statement

A non-discrimination rule does not apply in relation to pension credit members of an occupational

pension scheme. This amendment and amendments 66 and 89 would ensure that disabled pension

credit members are protected from discrimination in so far as communications in relation to the

scheme are concerned.

The Solicitor General

66

Clause  58,  page  45,  line  26,  leave out subsection (2).

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement for amendment 65.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

239

Clause  64,  page  49,  line  23,  at end add ‘Any difference on the grounds of sex or age

in the provision of goods or services shall not be discriminatory if the difference is

because of a material factor which is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate

aim.’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

28

Clause  73,  page  55,  line  14,  leave out ‘by regulations’ and insert ‘not’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

15

Clause  73,  page  55,  line  17,  at end insert ‘and

(b)	employees who have a disability and employees who do not have a

disability.’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

14

Clause  73,  page  55,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘( )	the Armed Forces;

( )	the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service or the Government

Communications Headquarters;’.

Public Bill Committee: 16 June 2009

164

Equality Bill, continued

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

13

Clause  73,  page  55,  line  20,  leave out paragraph (b).

The Solicitor General

67

Clause  73,  page  55,  line  20,  at end insert—

‘( )	a government department or part of the armed forces not specified in that

Schedule.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would exclude the security and intelligence agencies and GCHQ’s military

helpers from the scope of Clause 73. As a result, that clause would not apply to any government

department or any part of the armed forces.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

12

Page  55,  line  13,  leave out Clause 73.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

240

Clause  77,  page  58,  line  4,  leave out ‘with or’.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

241

Clause  77,  page  58,  line  6,  leave out ‘with or’.

John Mason

44

Schedule  9,  page  181,  line  33,  leave out ‘proportionate’.

Member’s explanatory statement

The addition of a new proportionality test narrows the scope of existing exceptions for religious

employment. This amendment, in conjunction with the amendment to leave out sub-paragraph (8),

retains the status quo.

The Solicitor General

68

Schedule  9,  page  181,  line  36,  leave out ‘work’ and insert ‘employment’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would ensure that paragraph 2 of Schedule 9 refers consistently to

“employment”.

Public Bill Committee: 16 June 2009

165

Equality Bill, continued

John Mason

45

Schedule  9,  page  181,  line  37,  leave out ‘proportionate’.

Member’s explanatory statement

The addition of a new proportionality test narrows the scope of existing exceptions for religious

employment. This amendment, in conjunction with the Amendment to leave out sub-paragraph (8),

retains the status quo.

John Mason

42

Schedule  9,  page  181,  line  41,  leave out sub-paragraph (8) and insert—

‘(8)	Employment is for the purposes of an organised religion if—

(a)	A has an ethos based on religion or belief, or

(b)	the employment wholly or mainly involves—

(i)	leading or assisting in the observation of liturgical or ritualistic

practices of the religion, or

(ii)	promoting or explaining the doctrine of the religion (whether to

followers of the religion or to others).’.

Member’s explanatory statement

Sub-paragraph (8) narrows the scope of existing exceptions for religious employment. This

amendment would instead broaden the scope of the exceptions to benefit all religious

organisations.

John Mason

43

Schedule  9,  page  181,  line  41,  leave out sub-paragraph (8).

Member’s explanatory statement

Sub-paragraph (8) narrows the scope of existing exceptions for religious employment. This

amendment, in conjunction with the amendments to lines 33 and 37, retains the status quo.

Mr Mark Harper

John Penrose

Mr John Baron

189

Schedule  9,  page  181,  line  42,  leave out ‘wholly or’.

John Mason

46

Schedule  9,  page  182,  line  6,  leave out from ‘requirement’ to ‘if’ and insert ‘to

which sub-paragraph (2) applies’.

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.

John Mason

47

Schedule  9,  page  182,  line  13,  at end insert—

‘(2)	This sub-paragraph applies to—

(a)	a requirement to be of a particular religion or belief;

(b)	a requirement to be of a particular sex;

(c)	a requirement not to be a transsexual person;

(d)	a requirement not be married or a civil partner;

Public Bill Committee: 16 June 2009

166

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: 16 June 2009

167

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: 16 June 2009

168

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.

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Revised 16 June 2009