Clause 13
Equality Bill
4:15 pm
Mark Harper (Shadow Minister, Work & Pensions; Forest of Dean, Conservative)
These measures should need only a relatively brief debate. My amendment is similar in nature to amendment 132, tabled by the Liberal Democrats, and it would leave the words “because of” out of clause 13 and replace them with “on grounds of”. That would effectively put the wording in the law back to what it is at the moment. The reason for doing that is twofold.
First, the “on the grounds of” formulation is consistent with all existing legislation and with European equalities legislation. It is the language that existing case law is already based on, and it therefore gives certainty.