Equality Bill [Lords]

I will make some progress because hon. Members might find that I refer to the points that they wish to raise. I am happy to ensure that I give way before the end of my speech if I have not answered their questions. Let me explain why and how we will move forward to provide protection for transsexual people. The work that we are already doing in the discrimination law review has highlighted the importance of making sure that the law takes proper account of the specific issues that transpeople face. We need to consult fully with them and the organisations that represent them, as well as those who will have responsibilities under law to ensure that we achieve well-focused and workable law. We will publish a consultation paper before the summer that will include our initial proposals and options for extending, beyond employment protection, protection against discrimination for transsexual people. The purpose of the discrimination law review is to produce proposals for a single equality Act, which we are committed to bringing forward in the life of this Parliament. It is precisely because there are differences between protection for different groups and anomalies in the existing framework that we have made the commitment to overhaul and simplify the statutory equality framework. The work to develop proposals on extending protection for transsexual people is being taken forward in the context of the discrimination law review for two reasons. First, we want to ensure that the new legal framework that will be set out in a single equality Bill can take account of the issues that transsexual people face. Working within the review means that can take a broad view of the protection from discrimination afforded to transsexual people. Secondly, we want the provisions that cover transsexual people—