Equalities
We previously invited general comments on the Equality Act. To make things simpler, the measures in the Equality Act have been divided into the eight themes, and this page is now closed for comment. To comment, click here. All the comments received below will be considered in the Equalities challenge process.
This piece of legislation is vital to those of us who are disabled. It gives legal recourse to people who are discriminated against at work and gives equality of opportunity to those who wish to study. It needs to be strengthened rather than watered down.
Government funding for businesses to make themselves accessible should be readily available and easily accessible to those businesses who do not have the financial means to do so.
I cannot believe the Act is on this website with a suggestion that it could be scrapped. Despite Lynne Featherstone’s message, it speaks volumes about this government’s attitude to equality that they have done this.
This piece of legislation was hard fought and hard won. To even contemplate scrapping it is utter LUNACY. Equality is a HUMAN RIGHT and business and Government need to get over themselves in touting the idea that equality legislation is synonymous with bureaucracy. PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Strengthen the legislation to ensure adequate protection for those who need it.
What is the matter with people?
I have never read so many ill-informed comments on this subject before. It’s as if mass hysteria has broken out on both sides of the debate.
1. There is no equality duty. Read S. 149 of the Act (the so called ‘public sector equality duty’ – is not a duty to secure equality). There is a duty to ‘secure’ ‘equality of opportunity’ which is entirely different to ‘equality’.
2. The so called ‘public sector equality duty’ merely invites one to have ‘due regard’ – that is not a duty to act.
3. [Text deleted]
4. The Government cannot repeal all of the Act – it is supported by federal law.
The Act needs to be strengthened and implemented, not watered down. There is still so much discrimination inherent in many people’s lives – dissolving this Act would give permission to discriminate on so many levels – we live in the 21st Century;yet sometimes it feels like the Middle Ages. Do not make this Act less effective than it is already.
I think there is a need for slimming down the legislation. The focus should be more on discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Yes, there should also be a duty to promote Equality as per the public sector duty, but there is a lot of bureaucracy in the consultation and reporting requirements/processes which for any organisation (I work in one) that serves a wide geographic area makes this unworkable in any meaningful way (and time consuming in an era of staff cutbacks). There is too much data and too many people to be involved in monitoring. I think that increasing the penalties for discrimination, harassment, victimisation and streamlining the system for cases being heard would help. Hard-hitting financial penalties are more likely to have an effect although such ‘fines’ on health sector organisations should be re-circulated back into funding health-care provision. Tribunal recommendations on organisations should be mandatory. Tribunal findings should also be made available to Commissioners so informed choices can be made as to whether to contract with an organisation with a poor equalities record.
Keep ALL the existing protections for ‘protected classes’. If some people are abusing the act, or if the act is being misinterpreted, to protect those who have committed criminal acts, review that, clarify the law, clarify the instructions to the legal system. Do NOT weaken any protections for the gay community – but ensure a strong focus on preventing discrimination, harassment and hate crimes, and a very strong emphasis to stop anti-gay bullying in schools (promised by all parties, and promised in the coalition agreement – but not yet done).
I know that there are people out there abusing the the Human Rights Act and the loopholes should be closed. More rights should be given to the victims of crime and not the other way round. That said the Equalities Act needs to be strengthed to protect the innocent.
The Equalities Act needs to be strengthened not weakened. I know from my own experience that discrimination has not gone away!
The duty for local governments to collect equalities data on all suppliers who work on behalf or for the council providing services, is an adminstrative burnden, difficult to collect and is hard to police the outcomes. Whilst I fully believe in the monitoring of staff directly employed by the local authority, trying to influence supplier staffing is more difficult and I am not sure if this is legal or how it helps equalities in general. Suppliers seem to turn against and resent a valid and needed piece of legislation.
it is unfair for deaf people, equallties didnt help much for deaf community.
This legislation has all the qualities needed. [text deleted] Don’t [text deleted] scrap or weaken it, if anything, strengthen it!
The equalities act is an essential piece of legislation which must be strenghthened at every opportunity. This was put in place in the face of clear & overwhelming evidence of unfair discrimination & treatment and much still needs to be done to continue to protect protect those who are vulnerable. Discrimination has not disappeared.
You can stop trying to weaken what is an excellent Act, and get on with implementing it properly. I am horrified that you are even asking about this piece of legislation. [text deleted]
I would not scrap this piece of legislation, becuase why should the majority be better of than the minority, you don’t break something to make it better, so leave it alone and improve on it, even simplify it, but keep the concept in place.
It is my pleasure finding your site a few days ago. I arrived here today hoping to come across something new. I was not disappointed. Your opinions with new solutions on this issue were helpful and a great assistance to me personally. Many thanks for creating time to write down these things along with sharing your ideas.
I think the equalities act needs to be strengthened.
The socio-economic duty recognised the importance of reducing the income gap – and the role of public bodies in bringing about that change – and we were extremely disappointed when it was abandoned.
The Equality Act 2010 should not be scrapped , if it is possible to become more strong and covering the economic aspectsa as well cascading solutions for gender economic issues .This legislation is giving the dignity and respect to all that live in UK being a model for other new democracy in the world. I hope that keeping and improving the Equality Act 2010 will result in accnowledment of the UK as the champion of human rights.
There are many reasons not to repeal the Equality Act – most of which have been covered in previous comments. I want to focus on two:
Firstly, the Equality Act enshrines in law a woman’s right to breastfeed in public places. It is a well-established fact that wherever possible, breast is best; numerous studies have shown that in addition to providing the essential nutrients and sustenance, it greatly reduces the risk of babies developing health problems such as gastroenteritis, asthma, diabetes and obesity and helps to protect women from breast and ovarian cancer. In comparison with a formula-fed baby, a breastfed baby is five times less likely to be hospitalised with gastroenteritis. It is estimated that if all babies were breastfed the NHS would save up to £50 million a year in dealing with such illnesses.
There is therefore a clear case to make sure that mothers are not put off breastfeeding by individual prejudices, and the Equality Act puts this on a statutory footing.
Secondly, the Act also recognises discrimination by social class. I have personal experience of this, having been turned down for promotion because of my strong north-east accent – or rather, the class and background that that accent implies. The Act ensures, as much as is humanly possible, that employers and even educators will never be able to cite someone’s accent as a reason for turning them down for a job or anything else.
We know that legislation is not a catch-all solution. To achieve the vision behind the Act we must change attitudes and break down barriers. Scrapping the Act would send a clear message that the Government rejects the notion that attitudes should change, and that barriers should be broken down. That would be a very bad message to send.
Wow, are you really an MP.
Your main reasons for supporting this ghastly act are because
a) women can’t breast feed in public.
Well lets hope that you don’t offend any muslims when you make it law for women to expose their breasts anywhere they choose, be it in front of small children or in the middle of a library, or at a mosque. I’m sure the minorities this act protects will love that.
b) I’m sure the left wing voters will love you when you make it against the law to discriminate against people because they have a northern accent. Still, more red tape will create more jobs for minorities paid for by us tax payers, so browny points to you for that.
I’m guessing you got your job because of the equality act, because I can’t imagine such incompetence becoming an MP out of public vote and hard work.