It is time for a major decluttering exercise...and that is what we will do with our new Equality Bill. Equality Minister Harriett Harman

Ahead of the new Equality Bill due to be published this summer, the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) today launch a new report Talent Not Tokenism, that outlines the benefits of diverrsity in the workplace.

The report, supported by the Equality and Human Rights Commisson, features 13 company case studies that demonstrates the positive benefits of promoting diversity in the workplace, as well as good practice guidelines.

The forthcoming legislation will replace more than 1,000 pages of legislation, replacing them with one Bill. It will replace nine major pieces of legislation and around 100 other measures, spanning forty years, from the 1970 Equal Pay Act through to the 2006 Equality Act, as well as the Disability Discrimination Act and Sex Discrimination Act.

According to the Minister for Equality, Harriett Harman, the new Equality Bill will streamline current legislation making it clearer to individuals and businesses and easier for them to understand.

"It is hard for people to see the outline, the shape and purpose of our equality legislation, let alone for individuals to see how it helps them, and for businesses to implement it with confidence. So it is time for a major decluttering exercise. And that is what we will do with our new Equality Bill," Harriett Harman said, speaking at the launch of Talent not Tokenism.

The Bill is expected to be introduced in to the next Parliamentary session, starting in November. CBI Director General Richard Lambert said that the new Equality Bill should provide a balance between solutions that work with the need for more consistent equality legislation.

“As the joint CBI/TUC report "Talent not tokenism" shows, employers are getting on with improving diversity in the workplace - and it is delivering real benefits. Legislation should be there to support them in this task, not to distract them," he said.