Clause 26

Part of Equality Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 2:00 pm ar 18 Mehefin 2009.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of John Penrose John Penrose Shadow Minister (Business, Innovation and Skills) 2:00, 18 Mehefin 2009

The Solicitor-General is being very helpful. In her closing remarks, will she make some comment about the Government’s expected timetable for developing the principles for the age-related discrimination exceptions? She has elaborated an impressive, carefully-thought-through and fairly sophisticated set of exceptions for many of the other strands of discrimination—those that have been around for some time—but we are much further back in the process on age, as I think she was saying. It is important that companies making hitherto legitimate business-based decisions and distinctions based on age know that they will not have to reconstruct their business models completely at an early point. It would be to the advantage of everyone, particularly the companies and their customers, if the Government clarified those principles at an early stage, ideally before Report or, in any event, soon thereafter. That would reduce the level of commercial uncertainty and uncertainty for the staff and customers of those firms.