Civitas questions cost of Equality Act

A think-tank has claimed that the costs associated with implementing new equality regulations will “far outweigh” the benefits.

Civitas said Britain’s growth and job opportunities will be impeded by the burden of complying with last year’s Equality Act, which was one of the final pieces of legislation introduced by the former Labour government. It states in the Act that between £102–£134 million can be saved during the first year, with £25–£87 million every year after that, to quickly recoup the £241–£283 million cost of its introduction.

The Government Equalities Office’s impact assessment shows that the Act could save between £40-£674 million. However, Civitas statistician Nigel Williams has claimed that many of these savings are “largely imaginary” and the introduction costs will be higher than predicted. The Act made anti-discrimination laws more streamlined, banning unfair treatment and creating equal opportunities in both the workplace and wider society. A Home Office spokesman said:

“We do not accept the Civitas assessment.”

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