After Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman’s statement on the Equalities Bill, Richard Lacy (pictured), chief executive of the Chamber, said: "The government needs to be more honest with business.
“The original intention was that this Bill would simplify the law. However, this could end up being a bureaucratic nightmare for small businesses, which the government should not forget account for 99 per cent of all companies in this country.
"Businesses tell us that there is a limited number of good people out there and they want to recruit and retain the best people for the job irrespective of their gender or race.
"Increasing the complexity of the tendering process for public contracts and putting more emphasis on positive action in the workplace are unlikely to make life simpler for anyone – least of all business."
