§ Richard Younger-RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to introduce legislative proposals to tackle age discrimination. [45028]
§ Mr. McCartneyAgeist employment practices are bad for employers, older workers and society. The cost of the fall in employment of the over 50s is estimated to be in the range of £16 billion to £31 billion per year in lost gross domestic product. The Department for Work and Pensions is promoting the business case for non-ageist employment practices to all employers and individuals across Great Britain through our Age Positive campaign.
The introduction of the employment-related age discrimination legislation, and the consultations on its development, are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. It is proposed that age discrimination legislation will be introduced in 2006.