---

Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

rose to move, That the draft order laid before the House on 7 December 2005 be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to move that the Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 be approved. The purpose of this order is to enhance protection for the rights of disabled people and give effect to more of the measures previously proposed in the Northern Ireland Executive’s 2001 response to the Disability Rights Task Force report. Although in its report the task force recognised the effectiveness of the framework set out in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, it did recommend that more work be undertaken to refine the Act and extend its coverage. The department has already taken forward the main employment proposals set out in the task force’s report by way of the amending regulations that came into operation on 1 October 2004. These regulations made significant changes to the Act, such as ending the exemption of small employers from the scope of the legislation and bringing within that scope a number of previously excluded occupations, such as the police, prison officers and fire-fighters. The order we are debating today would introduce provisions for disabled people broadly in line with those already in force in Great Britain by the enactment of the 2005 Act. I hope it will be helpful to the House if I comment briefly on the order and then say a few words about the detailed provisions. This is an important piece of legislation, intended to widen and strengthen existing disability legislation, thereby ensuring that more people than ever are protected by the Disability Discrimination Act in Northern Ireland. For example, the order would bring more people with progressive conditions—HIV, cancer and multiple sclerosis—within the scope of disability discrimination legislation, and strengthen existing rights in the areas of renting premises and discriminatory job advertisements. It would also close gaps in the existing legislation relating to, for example, the inclusion of local councillors, private clubs and transport services. Importantly, the order would extend legislation to bring the functions of public authorities within the scope of the Act, and would impose upon public authorities a new duty: namely, to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people and encourage their participation in public life. The extension of the Act in this way would bring new rights for disabled people and new duties on the public sector not to discriminate against disabled people across the whole range of its public activities. Those who responded to the public consultation on the proposals agreed that this is an important and welcome piece of legislation for disabled people. During the public consultation, some concerns were raised that the proposed new duty on public authorities would not mirror that contained in the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. However, we are firmly of the view that the new duty is every bit as strong as those provisions contained in the 2005 Act, particularly when it is considered alongside what public authorities are already obliged to do by way of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The Government are confident that the measures we have put in place over the last few years are helping to ensure that disabled people have the opportunity to participate in the workplace, in society and in the economy along with everyone else. Once this order is made—and it has already been approved in the other place—disabled people will then have in place a truly comprehensive legislation framework that will help to eliminate barriers that prevent them from living independent and fulfilling lives. I beg to move.