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Strictly embargoed until Monday 27 January 2003

FAO News desks

AgeConcern announces support for single equality body

Today Age Concern willannounce its support for a Government proposal to create a single equality bodyand urge other age NGOs to follow its lead and support the measure.

Gordon Lishman, Director Generalof Age Concern England, will urge delegates at a London meeting of the NationalCouncil on Ageing, to back the proposal for a single equality body outlined bythe DTI in its consultation document Making It Happen. The paper has beenpublished because the Government is gearing up to ensure all the new equalitieslegislation in various EU directives, due to become law shortly, is drivenforward.

By 2006, agediscrimination at work will be outlawed for the first time. At Mondays meetingwhere Angela Mason, Head of the Women and Equality Unit will speak, Mr Lishmanwill explain that the SEB option represents the best chance of putting age equalityon an equal footing with disability, race, gender, sexual orientation andreligious belief and tackling multiple-discrimination as UK society becomesincreasingly diverse as well as older.

At the same time the SEBoption is likely to be the most acceptable to business looking for a singlestreamlined source for advice on implementing their statutory responsibilities.

However, Mr Lishman willwarn that legislation on age equality needs to go beyond employment to make agediscrimination as unacceptable as other forms of discrimination.

More follows..

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Contd

Mr Lishman said:

A level playing field with all forms ofdiscrimination must be created. For this to happen there must be a clear,comprehensive legal framework outlawing age discrimination in all walks of lifeas for example is the case with the Race Relations Act. Employment is veryimportant but equally, the law must also apply to goods and services, health,social care and education where thousands of older people also sufferdiscrimination.

Angela Mason said:

I welcome the lively interest that Age Concern istaking in the governments consultation on options for future structures forour equality bodies. We are keen to hear the views of stakeholders, as muchfrom the new as from existing strands. It is vitally important that the viewsand experience of all those who are challenging age discrimination are fullyrepresented in this discussion.

The legislation to deal with age discriminationdoes not come on-stream until 2006, but the thinking has to start right now. Ivery much welcome this opportunity to share some of the Governments views andvision today.

Ends

Radioproducers please note: Age Concern offers an ISDN radio facility.

PR4SH/24/01/03