We will be beginning a liveblog of the debate in parliament, beginning at around 3pm on May 11th.

18:40 - Eleanor Laing is opposed to targets. Not sure that the bill really has anything to do with targets, so unsure why she’s bringing it up.  

18:37 - Eleanor Laing veers off-course, and says that the bill is just a rampant manifestation of Socialism. The Solicitor General laughs, and Laing gets feisty, telling her to make her point properly, “not from a sedentary postion…”. The SG stands, tells Laing to calm down, and sits.

18:33 - Eleanor Laing - contradiction in her argument. She says she wants to hold the government to account, she wants to dissect every bit of the law… and yet her party is voting against it outright, rather than debating it in committee.

18:32 - Eleanor Laing (Con) - supports ’simplification and consolidation’ of the law. She also welcomes the positive Equality Duty, saying it will go a long to to changing the cultural attitudes to Equality in all walks of life. She also says that Equality of Opportunity is a basic moral imperative.

18:31 - Desmond Turner (Lab) is still going! He talks about equality of goods and services, and how the bill ends discrimination on the grounds of sexuality on insurance.

18:15 - Desmond Turner (Lab) - Takes the floor. Says that given that the opposition had finally come around to the right view on sexuality, he is surprised by the heavy handed approach by the Conservatives (IE voting against outright).

18:10 - Tim Boswell (Con) - makes the first sensible point about the economic situation all day. In a time of difficulty, people are more prone to social unease. That’s the real question when it comes to making sure the law treats everyone equally.

18:09 - Tim Boswell (Con) - doesn’t sound like a man who will vote against the bill.

17:54 - Vera Baird (Solicitor General) points out that the bill does apply to the under-18s in every other respect, just not ‘age’.

17:51 - Julie Morgan (Lab) expresses her hope that the bill will be changed so that young people are included in the law. She says that young people feel slighted.

17:41 - Julie Morgan (Lab) Stands to support the bill. Mark Harper (Con) stands to argue that voting against the bill is the best way of showing their support for the bill……..

17:39 - Lynne Featherstone finishes by saying that equality legislation is the vanguard of change.

17:34 - Lynne Featherstone is the first person to bring up Trans rights. What about people who need protection, but who don’t fit into neat boxes, she asks? She also opposes the continuation of the blood ban.

17:33 - Lynne Featherstone thinks that re-working the NDRA

17:23 - Lynne Featherstone, LibDem: Wants pay audits to be brought in sooner, not later.

17:15 - Lynne Featherstone, LibDem: Argues that equality is the fire in the belly of the Liberal Democrat party.

17:11 - Patricia Hewitt (Lab) Makes a very strong defence of the SINGLE Equality Duty, arguing that some groups often feel left out of the ‘equality’ debate as a whole, citing working class white men and boys, and the example of white boys underachieving at school. Having a single, synoptic view of equality helps everyone be a part of the law.

17:05 - Patricia Hewitt (Lab) Supports the Equality Duty, and the simplification of law that it will bring.

17:00 - Patricia Hewitt expresses her shock that Conservatives are voting outright against the bill, rather than just ammending it in committee.

16:53 - Theresa May supports the age discrimination measures, but presses to ensure that ‘age-specific services’ are not included.

16:52 - Theresa May states her opposition to widespread positive discrimination.

16:46 - Theresa May argues that all-women shortlists aren’t acceptable.

16:45 - Parmjit Dhanda (Lab) Makes a strong argument against the Conservative proposals on equal pay and equality.

16:40 - Theresa May (Con) - Exposing the pay gay will set back the campaign for equal pay. Hang on, what?

16:38 - Evan Harris (LD) Argues that taxation policies are the best means of tackling wealth inequality. Does Theresa May have any tax policies other than abolishing IHT? Yes, says Theresa May. Marriage Incentives.

16:37 - Theresa May argues that you “can’t make any moves” unless the census data is accurate.

16:36 - Theresa May says that the bill is ill-thought out and last-minute. It doesn’t tackle root causes of inequality, like ‘family breakdown’, etc.

16:30 - Theresa May, Shadow Minister for Women, begins her speech.

16:29 - Harman finishes her speech and commends the bill to the house.

16:28 - Harman: This bill replaces a thicket of legislation (pointing at a huge pile of paper) with ‘This Act Here’ (holding up the bill, which is still pretty massive…). It is a simplification, which doesn’t require a highly-paid lawyer to understand.

16:24 - Evan Harris, LD - It’s controversial to extend the duty to religion, because of councils being forced to supply different religious groupings with different services. Harriet Harman - if Evan Harris is on the committee, then he will have the opportunity to change the law and add ammendments. But Harman doesn’t think that it will be necessary.

16:22 - Harriet Harman discusses homophobia and Gay Rights.

16:21 - David Taylor, Lab: How will this legislation specifically help the number of people with disabilities in public life? Harman: the speakers’ conference will be crucial to this.

16:20 - Jeremy Corbyn - Lab: Discrimination by Caste and Descent, from India in particular. Will this be covered? Harriet says it already is.

16:18 - Employment recruitment process, on health and disability grounds. It’s a hidden form of discrimination. Mental health problems are discriminated against too.

16:15 - Simon Hughes, can the elderly be assured that employment discrimination will also apply to them? Harriet Harman: YES.

16:14 - Harman: talks about discrimination against those who care for relatives.

16:13 - Harman: in 2012 we will review the NDRA.

16:13 - David Winnick, Lab: What about the injustice of the National Default Retirement Age at 65?

16:12 - Harriet Harman confirms that some exemptions will apply in the cases of the elderly, like free bus passes.

16:11 - Philip Davies, Con: Will there be unintended consequences for the Age Equality laws? Cheaper car insurance for the elderly, groups who provide for the elderly? No, says Harriet Harman. Nothing justifyable will be banned.

16:06 - Harriet Harman - Talks about employment tribunals, and introducing class-action lawsuits.

16:03 - Harriet Harman: Positive Action - we WILL allow employers to use Positive Action in the cases of two equally qualified candidates.

16:01 - Requiring something to be consulted on in the summer, when the legislation will go through before the summer? Does this mean we will be passing a law we don’t fully understand? No, says Harriet - because pay gap reporting will begin voluntarily.

16:00 - Lyn Brown, Lab: Concerned about so-called ‘gag-clauses’, preventing people from discussing their wages. Yes, says Harriet, the bill will change this. Information empowers people.

15:59 - Diane Abbott, Lab: The public would be surprised to see the Conservatives so agitated about the possiblity for Equality laws to be enacted. Especially since Equality will make us more competitive.

15:58 - Mark Pritchard, Con: He’s concerned that the Equality Bill is “a complete mockery”. Especially on Sharia Law.

15:57 - A lot of people on the Conservative Benches are jeering their way through the debate.

15:56 - Harman: There is still entrenched pay dsicrimination.

15:55 - Harman replies that the bill does contain positive action, and she will come back to the issue.

15:54 - Graham Brady, Con. - asks if, under the terms of the bill, an employer can choose a White Woman instead of a Black Man.

15:53 - That’s not a question for this bill. Language isn’t a type of discrimination covered. It’s about race, gender, sexuality, etc.

15:52 - Andrew Selous, Conservative, Bedfordshire South West - complains that some lower-paid jobs stipulate that applicants must be able to speak Polish.

15:51 - Fairness and Equality are essential to underpin a Meritocracy says Harman.

15:50 - Harriet Harman begins! Equality is essential for all, as a matter of principle and as a matter of practise.

15:46 - Speaker rejects the idea of using water canons agains the Tamil Protestors.

15:45 - Speaker takes points of order on the Tamil Protestors. He clearly feels that the “demonstrations” have gone on too long.

15:40 - Harriet Harman has just entered the Debate Chamber. Taking her seat right now for the Equality Bill debate.

15:37 - Speaker gives an impassioned defence of his decision to call the police. He tells Kate Hoey it’s all very well to talk to the press with soundbites, but a little harder to actually deal with the release of highly classified information.

15:32 - Speaker warns that someone capable of releasing expenses details may also have access to security details - home addresses, signatures, telephone numbers, passwords and so on. This is why they called in the police.

15:30 - Speaker Michael Martin is making a statement about the expenses row, arguing for ”the spirit of what is right” to be brought in. 

15:28 - As James Purnell’s ‘Work and Pensions Questions’ draws to a close, the debate chamber is beginning to fill up. Let’s hope they’re all here for the Equality Debate!