Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain - consultation paper of 12th June 2007 and White Paper of 26th June 2008

This consultation paper sets out proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain. It follows from the Discrimination Law Review launched in February 2005. The intention is to design "a clearer and more streamlined discrimination legislative framework which produces better outcomes for those who currently experience disadvantage". Consultation ended on 4th September 2007.

There is no date yet for publication of the draft Bill itself. The Bill was not mentioned in the Queen's speech in November 2007 (see Bills before Parliament/2007 Queen's Speech ) and it is understood it will not be formally proposed before November 2008 (see Single Equality Bill delayed - Employers' Forum on Disability Press Release, 6th November 2007 and Hansard HC col 1111 on 7th February 2008).

Clarifying some of the points which have been raised in the Press, the consultation paper makes it clear that:-

• there is no intention to prevent holidays marketed for specific age groups and/or discounted bus fares for pensioners.
  
• there is not intention to prevent clubs having single-sex membership.
  
• it is proposed that expectant and new mothers will be protected from discrimination in relation to goods, facilities and services generally. For example, a mother with a baby under one-year-old could no longer be made to leave a café when they are discreetly breast feeding their baby (see the Sex Discrimination (Amendment of Legislation) Regulations 2008, SI 2008/963).

In general the proposals do not relate to the employment field (in which there is already much anti-discrimination legislation). The proposals are essentially concerned with further extension of anti-discrimination in connection with applications for and supply of goods and services.

The government stated in September 2008 that it does not intend to publish the Bill in draft form but that it is still "committed to introducing an Equality Bill during this Parliament" (Hansard HC re Single Equality Bill, col 2304W, on 29th September 2008).

See also notes at Acts of Parliament etc/Equality Act 2006 (which amongst other things established a Single Equality Commission to cover England, Scotland and Wales, replacing the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, and the Disability Rights Commission as from 1st October 2007) and Bills before Parliament/Archive (2002 onwards)/2002 Equality Bill