Employers' Forum on Disability responds to draft "Queen's Speech"
15th May 2008
Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) today (14 May) gave a cautious welcome to the inclusion of the Equality Bill in today's draft "Queen's Speech" and urges the Government Equality Office to act on the concerns of employers about the draft legislation.
Susan Scott-Parker, Chief Executive of EFD said: "We are cautiously positive about the inclusion of the Equality Bill in the draft "Queen'sSpeech". However, all equalities legislation must be credible in the eyes of employers and disabled people, or it will fail. Our members are concerned by the way the 'light touch' equality tool and the public sector duty were covered by the Green Paper on the Equality Bill. We look forward to working with government to provide practical solutions to these concerns.
"EFD is concerned that the single Equality Duty in the Green Paper would undermine progress on mainstreaming disability issues across all the work of public sector organisations. We know that the Disability Equality Duty has had a positive impact on disability equality for public sector organisations. It makes good business - and common - sense for new legislation to continue this work, not undermine it."
EFD is concerned that the proposals for a 'light touch' equality toolwould:
- not add value to business and make it another tick box exercise. A 'one size fits all' approach will not work for both large and small organisations.
- make it much more difficult to persuade employers that they need to address and remove the complex range of disability specific obstacles. With 50% of disabled people out of work, this is not a route we should be taking.
Ends
Notes to editors
The Equality Bill is one of 18 bills published today (14 May) in the Green Paper, Preparing Britain for the Future - the Draft Legislative Programme 2008-09. EFD submitted a response to the Single Equality Act Green Paper in 2007.
Media enquiries, please contact:
Liz Nightingale, Communications Manager
Employers' Forum on Disability
Email: liz.nightingale@efd.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7403 3020
About Employers' Forum on Disability
Employers' Forum on Disability is the employers' organisation focused on disability as it affects employers and service providers. With over 400 members, EFD represents organisations that employ around 20 per cent of the UK workforce.Since its establishment in 1991, EFD has worked closely with government and other stakeholders, sharing best practice to make it easier to employ disabled people and serve disabled customers.