Remove Red Tape

Equalities

The Red Tape Challenge plans have now been announced, and you can view this announcement here. You can read comments made on this theme below, organised by sub-category.

To make things simpler we have divided the measures in the Equality Act into eight main themes which you can click on below this text.  The Equality Act is being implemented in phases.  We have made it clear in each section which measures have already been implemented and which are not yet in force.  Click through the links below to tell us what you think and join the debate.

The Equality Act 2010 contains measures intended to prevent discrimination and ensure equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society. Some of these protections are required by European law. You can find the Equality Act here (opens in a new window). You can find the detailed Explanatory Notes here (opens in a new window)

The Act brought together nine separate pieces of legislation into a single place to make the law simpler and to remove inconsistencies.  In some areas this meant increasing protection to make the law more consistent and easier to use. For example, the Act replaced different definitions of indirect discrimination with a single definition, making the law easier to understand.

The Act also contains a number of new measures to strengthen protection in some situations.  For example, it aims to ensure disabled people have a fair chance to apply for jobs by preventing employers asking applicants about their health or disability at the early stages of recruitment.

The Government is determined to take a hard look at anything which imposes bureaucratic burdens. Fairness is important, and it is not the Government’s intention to abolish the Equality Act, but it cannot be exempt from a comprehensive look to check that we are not imposing burdens that are out of proportion to the good they seek to do. We have already agreed that there are some provisions in the Equality Act that will not be commenced. This red tape challenge spotlight gives you the opportunity to look at all provisions in the Equality Act and tell us if they are too bureaucratic and burdensome for the benefit they bring, whether they could be simplified or better implemented, or if you think they should be kept exactly as they are.

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 below for your comments. To view the old comment page, please click here. All comments received to date will be considered in the Equalities challenge process. The Equality Act is being implemented in phases.  We have made it clear in each section which measures have already been implemented and which are not yet in force.  Click through the links to tell us what you think and join the debate.