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Equality Bill

My Lords, our views on this issue are well known and we went through them at length in Committee. I shall therefore not hold up Report stage unduly by espousing them all over again. We on these Benches support in principle the removal of the default retirement age. We have long believed that retirement should be a process and not an event. However, we are concerned that a number of very complicated practical issues need to be taken into account when considering this matter, and that is particularly true in the context of the current economic climate. For example, we are worried that moves to remove the default retirement age might have a further detrimental impact on the large number of young people who are out of work at present. Under the current law, if the default retirement age were removed, it could be difficult for employers to ask especially older employees who are not able to fulfil their job responsibilities to leave. This is a very important issue which needs careful assessment. Under the current law, it is realistic to suppose that if an employer were to ask an employee to leave, that could result in disciplinary action or claims of wrongful dismissal. We are concerned about that and the fact that it would be damaging to the relationship between employer and employee. As I said in Committee, perhaps there is a case for instigating some kind of neutral discussion in the workplace regarding retirement. Therefore, we on these Benches are concerned that while there is certainly a case for removing the default retirement age in principle, many options need to be considered carefully to ensure that all the practical issues are addressed. We look forward to seeing the government review which has been promised.