§ Lord Stallardasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are their responses to the Better Regulation Task Force review of anti-discrimination legislation. [HL3680]
§ The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)The Government have today placed copies of their formal response to the Better Regulation Task Force review of anti-discrimination legislation in the Libraries of both Houses. The task force has made a timely, constructive and challenging contribution to the Government's thinking on these highly important issues. The Government are committed to eliminating all unlawful discrimination and have accepted the majority of the task force proposals. The Government believe this response to the task force, in tandem with their responses today on similar issues to the proposals put forward by the equality commissions, sets out in the strongest possible terms our commitment to a modem and diverse society.
The Government have accepted the task force's main recommendation that a major legislative overhaul is not necessary at this stage either in relation to the individual regimes or in bringing them together. However, the Government agree that much more can be done to make the existing regimes work more effectively by setting a lead in their own actions as a policy maker, a service provider and employer; by encouraging the equality commissions to act in a more targeted, strategic and joined-up manner; and by encouraging business to seize the initiative and adopt best practices more widely in this area. To help businesses comply, the Government will further encourage the commissions to consult with employers on producing simple, clear advice and guidance which everyone (especially small and medium sized employers) can quickly and easily act upon. This will include clarifying employer obligations in some key areas. Our civil justice and legal aid reforms, along with the new Community Legal Service, will help ensure that ordinary citizens will have better and fairer access to justice.