Work and Pensions Committee - Third Report
The Equality Bill: how disability equality fits within a single Equality Act

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Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 20 April 2009.

Contents

Terms of Reference

Summary

1  Introduction.- The Government's commitment: simplified and modernised discrimination law

2  The single Equality Bill

Merging disability equality legislation into a single Equality Act

Nature of Discrimination

Direct discrimination

Disability-related discrimination

Disability-related discrimination - justification

Failure to make reasonable adjustments

Scope of protected class

Discrimination by association and perception

Multiple discrimination

The social model vs medical model approach

The role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Government Equalities Office and the Office for Disability Issues

3  Equality in Employment

Employment rates

Key policy challenges

Disabled people

Older people

Carers

Volunteers

Enforcement of equality legislation in employment

Equality in recruitment

Pre-employment questionnaires

Enforcement of equality legislation in recruitment

Inaccessible technology

4  The Access to Work Scheme

The scheme

Improving the scheme

Marketing and advice

Portability

Support for mental health and fluctuating illnesses

Funding

Access to Work in the Public Sector

5  The public sector equality duty

Extending the public sector equality duties

Improving focus on outcomes

Equality Schemes

Compliance and enforcement

Procurement

A duty on the private sector?

6  Equality in Goods, Facilities and Services

Effectiveness of existing legislation in Goods, Facilities and Services

Compliance and enforcement

Potential impact of draft EU Directive in GFS

Housing

Conclusions and recommendations

Formal Minutes

Witnesses

List of written evidence

List of unprinted evidence

List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament

Oral and Written Evidence

Monday 9 January 2009

Monday 2 February 2009

Monday 9 February 2009

Written Evidence

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Prepared 29 April 2009