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Equality Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 31:"Page 66, line 40, at end insert—" ““PART 5A EQUALITIES COMMITTEES 64A   (1)   The Commission shall establish decision-making Equalities Committees to be known as— (a)   the Disability Committee, (b)   the Sexual Orientation Committee, (c)   the Religion or Belief Committee, (d)   the Age Committee, (e)   the Race Committee, and (f)   the Gender Committee. (2)   The Commission shall ensure that the Equalities Committees are established before section 8 comes into force (to any extent). 64B      The Commission shall ensure that— (a)   there are not less than 7 or more than 9 members of each of the Equalities Committees, (b)   no fewer than one half of the members of each of the Equalities Committees have personal or direct experience of the cause of discrimination or prejudice referred to in section 11 with which their Equality Committee is concerned, (c)   the chairperson, (or joint chairpersons, where that is the case), of each of the Equalities Committees has personal or direct experience of the cause of discrimination or prejudice referred to in section 11 with which his or her Equality Committee is concerned, (d)   no fewer than one half of the members of the Disability Committee are persons who are (or have been) disabled persons, (e)   no fewer than one half of the members of the Race Committee are persons from a black or other ethnic minority background, and (f)   no fewer than one half of the members of the Gender Committee are women. 64C      The appointment of each member of the Equalities Committees shall be for a period of not less than 2 years or more than 5 years, subject to the possibilities of— (a)   reappointment, and (b)   dismissal in accordance with the terms of appointment. 64D   (1)   The Commission shall by virtue of this paragraph be treated as having delegated to the Equalities Committees— (a)   the Commission’s duty under section 8 in so far as it may be fulfilled by the exercise of the powers conferred by or referred to in— (i)   section 12, (ii)   section 14(1)(a), (c) or (d) (or paragraph (e) or (f) in so far as it relates to paragraph (a), (c) or (d)), (iii)   section 15, (iv)   section 16, (v)   section 21, (vi)   section 29, (vii)   section 30, or (viii)   section 32, (b)   the Commission’s duty under section 11 in so far as it may be fulfilled by the exercise of those powers. (2)   Delegation under this paragraph shall not prevent the exercise by the Commission of a power, or the fulfilment by the Commission of a duty, by action which relates to any one or more than one of the causes of discrimination or prejudice referred to in section 11. (3)   Before exercising a power to which paragraph 21(2) or 22(3) applies an Equality Committee shall consult the Scotland Committee. (4)   Before exercising a power to which paragraph 29(2) or 30(3) applies an Equality Committee shall consult the Wales Committee. 64E      Before exercising a power or fulfilling a duty in relation to disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, race, or gender, the Commission shall consult the relevant Equality Committee. 64F      Each Equality Committee shall advise the Commission about the exercise of the Commission’s functions in so far as they relate to the subject or remit of that Committee. 64G      In allocating its resources the Commission shall ensure that each of the Equalities Committees receives a share sufficient to enable it to exercise its functions. 64H   (1)   Each of the Equalities Committees shall for each financial year of the Commission submit to the Commission a report on the Committee’s activities in that year. (2)   The Commission shall incorporate each report of each of the Equalities Committees under sub-paragraph (1) into the relevant annual report of the Commission. 64I      The Commission shall arrange for a review of the activities of the Equalities Committees to be conducted as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of the period of five years beginning with the date of the commencement for all purposes of sections 8 and 11. 64J      The following may not participate in the review (although those conducting the review may seek views from any of the following)— (a)   a Commissioner or former Commissioner, (b)   staff or former staff of the Commission, (c)   a person who is or has been an Investigating Commissioner, and (d)   a person who is or has been a member of a committee established by the Commission. 64K      The Commission shall ensure— (a)   that those conducting the review consult persons whom they think likely to have an interest, (b)   that those conducting the review submit a report to the Commission, and (c)   that the report is published. 64L      The Equalities Committees may not be dissolved under paragraph 14(c).”” The noble Lord said: My Lords, I realise that having discussed the amendment for a Greater London committee, which was withdrawn, some of the arguments may be repeated here. I shall not waste too much of the House’s time, but I wish to be clear that these proposals are very serious. They are made in the context of wanting to align the proposal for committees for equality, for sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, race and gender alongside the proposals for the Disability Committee. In doing so, we recognise and acknowledge the important role that the Disability Committee will play. The value of having other, similar committees would be the same as that for the Disability Committee; they would bring harmony to the work of the commission, rather than being disruptive, as has been said in previous discussions. Rather than creating a delay by leaving the proposal to the commission, there is no reason why it should not be in the Bill and become a requirement on the commission. I hope that it could be reconsidered as something that is acceptable. I beg to move.