All 1 Debates between Anne Begg and Baroness Featherstone

Thu 18th Nov 2010

Socio-economic Equality Duty

Debate between Anne Begg and Baroness Featherstone
Thursday 18th November 2010

(13 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts

Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Baroness Featherstone Portrait Lynne Featherstone
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I agree. Delivering equality and fairness is a serious matter, and the idea that one clause would make a significant difference is wrong, particularly as it was a tick-box exercise. If it had delivered a measured outcome, I am sure we would be implementing it; as it did not, we are not.

Anne Begg Portrait Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South) (Lab)
- Hansard - -

For decades, disabled people were told that equality would come through education and changing attitudes, but it did not. It was not until the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995—an imperfect Act it was, too—that we began to see equality. The Equalities Act 2010 would have done the same for poor people, and it does them and the hon. Lady a disservice when she says that the Government will scrap this duty. That is a mistake.

Baroness Featherstone Portrait Lynne Featherstone
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The hon. Lady makes my point for me. Substantive legislation is extremely important; this was not substantive legislation.