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11

 

House of Commons

 
 

Tuesday 16 June 2009

 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings

 

Equality Bill


 

[Seventh and Eighth Sittings]


 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Withdrawn  114

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  4,  leave out ‘and long-term’.

 

Mr Mark Harper

 

John Penrose

 

Mr John Baron

 

Withdrawn  166

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  19,  at end insert—

 

‘(4A)    

Where reference is made in this Act to a person (B) who is perceived to have a

 

disability, the reference is taken to apply to this person whether or not the

 

perceived impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on B’s

 

ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 


 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  179

 

Schedule  1,  page  144,  line  10,  at end insert ‘the effect’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  186

 

Schedule  1,  page  144,  line  11,  leave out ‘it’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  187

 

Schedule  1,  page  144,  line  12,  leave out ‘it’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 16 June 2009            

12

 

Equality Bill, continued

 
 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  188

 

Schedule  1,  page  144,  line  13,  leave out ‘it’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  180

 

Schedule  1,  page  144,  line  16,  leave out ‘effect is likely to recur’ and insert

 

‘impairment is of a nature where it, or its effects, is liable to recur’.

 

Mr Mark Harper

 

John Penrose

 

Mr John Baron

 

Withdrawn  167

 

Schedule  1,  page  144,  line  16,  at end insert—

 

‘(2A)    

Without prejudice to the operation of sub-paragraph (2), the mental impairment

 

consisting of or resulting from depression that has ceased to have a substantial

 

adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities shall

 

always be treated as if that effect is likely to recur if the person has had within the

 

last 5 years a previous episode of such impairment which had a substantial

 

adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities for

 

a period of 6 months or more.’.

 

Schedule Agreed to.

 


 

Mr Tim Boswell

 

Withdrawn  195

 

Clause  7,  page  5,  line  25,  leave out ‘proposing to undergo’ and insert ‘considering

 

undergoing’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not selected  116

 

Page  5,  line  23,  leave out Clause 7.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 


 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Withdrawn  127

 

Clause  8,  page  6,  line  7,  leave out ‘or a civil partner’ and insert ‘, a civil partner, co-

 

habiting or single’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  128

 

Clause  8,  page  6,  line  10,  leave out ‘or is a civil partner’ and insert ‘, a civil partner,


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 16 June 2009            

13

 

Equality Bill, continued

 
 

co-habiting or single’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  129

 

Clause  8,  page  6,  line  12,  leave out ‘or are civil partners’ and insert ‘, civil partners,

 

co-habiting or single’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 

Clause 9 Agreed to.

 


 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Withdrawn  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.’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Not called  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.’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Not selected  235

 

Parliamentary Star    

Clause  10,  page  7,  line  23,  at end insert ‘In relation to the protected characteristic

 

of religion or belief, a reference to a person’s religion or belief does not include reference

 

to that person’s other protected characteristics.’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Not selected  236

 

Parliamentary Star    

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.’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 

Clause 11 Agreed to.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 16 June 2009            

14

 

Equality Bill, continued

 
 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Withdrawn  217

 

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

 

‘(3)    

Sexual orientation includes manifestations of that sexual orientation.’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Not selected  237

 

Parliamentary Star    

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

 

    

‘and includes manifestations of any such sexual orientation.’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 


 

Mr Mark Harper

 

John Penrose

 

Mr John Baron

 

Negatived on division  7

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  line  5,  leave out ‘because of’ and insert ‘on grounds of’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  132

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  line  5,  leave out ‘because of’ and insert ‘on the grounds of’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Withdrawn  130

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  line  5,  leave out ‘a’ and insert ‘one or more than one’.

 

Mr Mark Harper

 

John Penrose

 

Mr John Baron

 

Withdrawn  194

 

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

 

‘(1A)    

Discrimination does not include marketing or promoting activities targeted at a

 

particular group of people whether or not they share a protected characteristic.’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Withdrawn  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.’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 16 June 2009            

15

 

Equality Bill, continued

 
 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Withdrawn  133

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  line  10,  leave out subsection (3) and insert—

 

‘(3)    

If the protected characteristic is disability, nothing in this section shall be taken

 

to prohibit more favourable treatment of a disabled person on the grounds of a

 

disabled person’s disability.’.

 

Mr Mark Harper

 

John Penrose

 

Mr John Baron

 

Not called  168

 

Clause  13,  page  9,  line  15,  at end insert—

 

‘(3A)    

If the protected characteristic is disability, this section applies to a person who is

 

perceived to have a disability.’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Withdrawn  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.’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Not selected  238

 

Parliamentary Star    

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

 

‘(5A)    

A person (A) does not discriminate against another (B) because of religion or

 

belief within the meaning of subsection (1) if A treats B less favourably than A

 

treats or would treat others on grounds only of a manifestation of or behaviour

 

connected with B’s religion or belief.’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Withdrawn  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.’.

 

John Mason

 

Not called  36

 

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

 

‘(b)    

less favourable treatment includes placing tighter restrictions on

 

expression related to religion or belief than on expression not related to

 

religion or belief.’.

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Not called  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.’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 16 June 2009            

16

 

Equality Bill, continued

 
 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Not called  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 B less favourably than A treats or would treat others on the basis of a

 

manifestation of B’s sexual orientation.’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 


 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Withdrawn  191

 

Clause  14,  page  10,  leave out lines 3 to 6 and insert—

 

‘(a)    

A treats B in a particular way for a reason arising from B’s disability,

 

(b)    

the treatment amounts to a detriment, and

 

(c)    

A cannot show that the treatment is a proportionate means of achieving a

 

legitimate aim.

 

(1A)    

For the purposes of this section, A treats B in a particular way for a reason arising

 

from B’s disability if—

 

(a)    

A treats B in that way for a reason arising from B’s disability (but not by

 

reason of B’s disability itself); or

 

(b)    

A treats B in that way for a reason arising from a manifestation of or

 

behaviour connected with B’s disability (but not by reason of B’s

 

disability itself).

 

(1B)    

For the purposes of subsection (1), A treats B in a particular way for a reason

 

arising from B’s disability even if A treats or would treat another person without

 

a disability in the same way as B where that other person’s circumstances are

 

otherwise the same as those of A.

 

(1C)    

For the purposes of this section, the circumstances in which A shall be taken to

 

be reasonably expected to know about B’s disability include where A has failed

 

to ask B if he has a disability.’.

 

Mr Mark Harper

 

John Penrose

 

Mr John Baron

 

Not called  8

 

Clause  14,  page  10,  line  5,  leave out paragraph (c).

 

Clause Agreed to.

 


 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not selected  117

 

Clause  15,  page  11,  line  1,  leave out ‘reassignment’ and insert ‘identity’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 16 June 2009            

17

 

Equality Bill, continued

 
 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  118

 

Clause  15,  page  11,  line  3,  leave out ‘reassignment’ and insert ‘identity’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  119

 

Clause  15,  page  11,  line  12,  leave out ‘7(1)’, and insert ‘[Gender identity] (1)(a)’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 


 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  139

 

Clause  16,  page  11,  line  15,  leave out ‘maternity’ and insert ‘parenthood’.

 

The Solicitor General

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Agreed to  91

 

Clause  16,  page  11,  line  20,  leave out ‘less favourably’ and insert ‘unfavourably’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  138

 

Clause  16,  page  11,  line  22,  leave out ‘26’ and insert ‘52’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Withdrawn  223

 

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

 

The Solicitor General

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Agreed to  92

 

Clause  16,  page  11,  line  23,  leave out ‘less favourably’ and insert ‘unfavourably’.

 

Lynne Featherstone

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

Not called  141

 

Clause  16,  page  11,  line  24,  at end add—

 

‘(4)    

A person (A) discriminates against a man if, in the period of 52 weeks beginning

 

with the day on which his child was born, A treats him unfavourably because he

 

is a father.’.


 
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