Equality Bill

Was there any discussion about a lighter-touch approach to this? These data surely could be collected anyway. Dod’s Parliamentary Companion is already available to answer many of the questions that many of us know the answers to anyway through the use of our own eyes when we look at this place, another place and other elected chambers throughout the United Kingdom. Was there no discussion between the political parties about simply doing this anyway without the need for legislation, which seems to be a very dirigiste approach?