Equality Bill

My Lords, I support this amendment. At Second Reading, I said that there is no reason for not getting rid of the default retirement age right now. I stick to that view. A mix of younger and older people is thoroughly desirable because you have experience and background and youth and vigour. In the past, executive company directors used to retire gradually. Their experience was available for their company to call on over a period of time. I see no reason why that sort of flexible working arrangement should not be made more available depending on what the individual and the company need as it progresses its jobs and vacancies. We also need to remember that women have had less opportunity to earn a decent retirement. It would be a great pity if they were cut off from the period when they were looking after grandchildren or helping in other social work and voluntary activity for part of their time. I am entirely in favour of both amendments. The amendment of the noble Baroness, Lady Turner, is very interesting and may provide an insight. I would not wish for that requirement for an age profile to be made mandatory at this stage. However, as a voluntary activity, it might set a good example of why one might want to join a particular company. I back that amendment also. I hope that the Minister will provide some encouragement. If we do not take this opportunity, when will the next one be? We should pay more attention—I remember fighting on this issue with Lord Dearing, who, sadly, is deceased—to ensuring that there are more facilities to allow older people to re-train or to take up interests that they have wanted to do for most of their lives but have not had time. That would keep them young and flexible and they would not have been an additional cost to the NHS. I fully support the amendments.