Proposed new equality Act discriminates on penalties

Richard Kenyon points out to us (Legal Opinion, Personnel Today, 3 July) that the proposed Single Equality Act does not remove the current inequalities. I was really pleased when it was announced that we were going to have a Single Equality Act. I thought that no matter what the discrimination, whether it be on the grounds of sex, race, disability, religion or belief or age, the penalties would be the same in the event of direct and indirect discrimination.

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According to Kenyon, this is not the case, and “the government is proposing to retain the anomalies”. I do not understand why – surely it would be far better and far easier to implement the latest act if the anomalies, as described, were removed?

Barbara Stannard, Personnel manager