Queen announces Equality Bill

04/12/2008

The Queen has announced the Equality and Welfare Reform bill.

The House of Lords was told of it during the Queen's Speech, in which she called for the government to focus on the economy and ensure stability for the UK.

"My government will bring forward a Bill to promote equality, fight discrimination and introduce transparency in the workplace to help address the difference in pay between men and women," she said.

The Welfare Reform Bill will introduce plans for long-term unemployed citizens to sign up to training programmes – or see their benefits cut.

Director of public policy at the Chartered Institution of Personnel Development, John Philpott supports the legislation.

"Against the backdrop of rapidly rising unemployment, now is the time to invest in a programme that helps fill the half a million vacancies that still exist in the UK economy," Trainingzone reported he said.

A further announcement also confirmed there will be no further delay in implementing flexible working proposals, set to be introduced in 2009.

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