§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will introduce legislation to amend the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to match the amendments to the Sex. Discrimination Act 1975 made by the Sex Discrimination (Indirect Discrimination and Burden of Proof) Regulations 2001. [HL867]
§ Lord RookerThe Race Directive, made under Article 13 of the European Community (EC) Treaty and agreed in June 2000, will establish a common standard of legal protection from race discrimination across Europe, impacting upon employment and training, as well as education, access to goods and services including housing, social protection and social advantages.
The Employment Directive, made under Article 13 of the EC Treaty and agreed in November 2000, requires member states to put into effect the principle of equal treatment in the areas of employment, occupation, vocational training and vocational guidance in respect of disabled people among others.
Both directives contain provisions relating to discrimination and the burden of proof which the Government will be looking to implement. We expect to consult on our proposals within the next three months.