HC Deb 24 January 1974 vol 867 cc1881-2
12. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations have been made from organisations and individuals, respectively, on the proposals contained in the consultative document on equal opportunities for women and for men ; and if he will make a statement on the general reaction to the proposals.

Mr. R. Carr

Comments have been received from some 300 organisations and 1,000 individuals. The great majority favour the principle of the proposed legislation, but divergent views have been expressed about particular aspects of it, notably its scope and the enforcement machinery.

Mr. Hamilton

The Home Secretary has covered what was to be my supplementary question. However, are not criticisms devoted to the narrowness of the Bill and the unacceptability or weakness of the enforcement procedure? The Leader of the House gave an undertaking last Thursday that the Bill would be produced within a few weeks. Will the Home Secretary therefore give an undertaking that the long title of the Bill will be so drawn as to enable amendments to be put down to increase and enlarge the scope of the Bill?

Mr. Carr

I shall draw the attention of my right hon. Friend to the final point made by the hon. Gentleman. Regarding criticism as to the narrowness of the Bill, this is a matter of strategy. We have concluded, as did the two Select Committees involved, that on balance it is better to have a hard drive on the most important issues on a relatively narrow front rather than on a wide one. This was also the majority view of the two Select Committees, but it is a matter for debate.

Regarding the unacceptability or weakness of enforcement machinery, I cannot accept what the hon. Gentleman says. If it is agreed that employment is probably the single most important area, it is important to have a widespread national network of enforcement machinery. The industrial tribunals are widely used, are familiar to large numbers of people and produce the best means of effective machinery.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

If we are to have a sex discrimination industry, may we have a no-day week?

Mr. Roy Jenkins

What is the Home Secretary's present thinking on dealing with anti-discrimination in general, including race discimination, and particularly enforcement procedure?

Mr. Carr

This has theoretical attractions. Again it is a matter of making a judgment of the practicability. My opinion is that on balance it is more practical and more effective to keep the two separate, but others may take a different view. Whether they may all come together at some future time may be another question.

As to the wider field, I do not think that the House and the country should underestimate the potential influence and power of the proposed Equal Opportunities Commission, which seems to me to be the main instrument for widening the front of our whole approach to these matters.