New equality body

On 16 February 2006, the Equality Act 2006 received royal assent, clearing the way for the establishment of a single integrated equality body, the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR), to underpin legislation on human rights and discrimination on the basis of race, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age.

The CEHR will be created by merging the work of the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission from October 2007, and the Commission for Racial Equality from 2009.