§ 18. Mr. Allen McKayasked the Paymaster General if he has any plans to amend the Sex Discrimination Act in such a way as to equalise the retirement ages of men and women; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LangThe Government issued a consultative document on 1 April, which was placed in the Library of the House, setting out proposals for amending our legislation in the light of the recent European Court judgment concerning sex discrimination and retirement, and inviting comments by 30 April. The proposed amendments will make it unlawful for a woman to be dismissed on the grounds of age when a man of the same age and in comparable circumstances would not. We believe that this represents a desirable extension of equal opportunity in employment.