HC Deb 11 March 2003 vol 401 c164W
Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to end the exemption for private clubs in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.[102258]

Ms Hewitt

I welcome the Sex Discrimination in Private Clubs Bill introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) on 4 February 2003, which seeks to extend the scope of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to cover mixed-sex clubs of 25 members or more. We welcomed a similar Bill introduced in the other place in the last session by Lord Faulkner of Worcester.

There can be no justification for treating women as second-class citizens in private clubs. Such practices are out of date and contrary to this Government's principles of opportunity for all.

While I can make no commitment on parliamentary time, this is a matter which we will keep under review.