Protect equalities and take the Red Tape Challenge

As discussed in a prior blog post, the aim of the Red Tape Challenge website is to seek your views on the ways in which to, primarily, rid business of the burden of regulations and the bureaucracy associated with them.  

Many comments on the website have expressed deep concern over the inclusion of the Equality Act, as it represents decades of fighting for social justice and fighting for protections from discrimination in the workplace.

9 June 2011: spotlight on equalities

Every few weeks the Government publishes all the regulations associated with a particular sector on the Red Tape Challenge website. The Red Tape Challenge will be turning the spotlight on equalities regulations on the 9 June 2011 for approximately three weeks.

During this time there will be an external facilitator from the Government to stimulate debate and facilitate more specific questions in relation to the Equality Act (as well as existing questions which include, ‘should they be scrapped altogether?’).

The appointed facilitator might organise other events to stimulate debate or indeed target the business press, so there may be opportunities to comment or participate in this consultation elsewhere. 

It will be very important for individuals and organisations to post on the site during this time, even if you have already done so. The equalities section should appear on the front page from 9 June, but in the interim you can access existing comments on equalities under the General Regulations.

The last thing we want to do is give the Government a mandate to dilute or take steps to reverse equalities legislation, which is the hallmark of a progressive society. So please post a response.