Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Gordon of Strathblane (Labour). It was answered by Baroness Verma (Conservative) on Tuesday, 8 March 2011.

Insurance: Gender Discrimination

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intervened in the case before the European Court of Justice on gender discrimination in insurance policies and annuities.

Answer: My Lords, the UK Government, along with a number of other member states, the European Council and the Commission made oral and written representations to the European Court of Justice during legal proceedings. The representations argued that, rather than preventing true equality, the article in question ensured that different cases could be treated differently, thereby ensuring true equality. However, the court has ruled that the practice of using gender as a factor in the calculation of premiums and benefits must cease, with effect from 21 December 2012.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 725 c1518
Session: 2010-12
Oral question type: Lead
Procedure: Topical questions (HL)
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Related items: European Communities Act 1972
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects: Annuities Gender Insurance Discrimination European Court of Justice
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk