TAEN – The Age and Employment Network has welcomed Harriet Harman’s new Equalities Bill to outlaw age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services but believes there is a glaring omission on retirement age.

Chris Ball, chief executive of TAEN, said: “It is only just and fair that people should not be arbitrarily denied access to goods, facilities and services simply on the basis of their age.  And it is right that the same protections already being given under other equality strands will at last be extended to age.

“It appears that there is one glaring omission in the bill’s ‘age’ proposals. That is the failure to scrap the default retirement age.

Its inclusion would make the bill much stronger and more effective in defeating age discrimination. We will, therefore, be pushing for an amendment to be added to the bill as it makes its way through Parliament.”