Harriet Harman has defended plans to make it legal for firms to discriminate in favour of female and ethnic minorities job candidates.

The equalities minister said firms should be able to choose a woman over a man of equal ability if they want to.

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The plans, which will be adopted first across England then Wales and Scotland, will also ban all age discrimination.

Ms Harman said she wanted a more "open and diverse" economy with companies not just choosing from "a pool of friends of friends".

Tackled on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about whether the proposals would lead to discrimination against white men, she said companies would not be forced to use positive discrimination.

Age discrimination

But she added: "They might think we don't want an all male team.

"We've got a new post coming up, we've got equally qualified men and women going for it, we are going to pick the woman because we want to have a more balanced top team.

"The law at the moment is not clear and we are clarifying and saying if you want to do it, you can, and it makes it much more open."

Ms Harman will set out the proposals in the Commons later.

Age discrimination in the workplace has been illegal since 2006, but the new legislation will tackle more widespread forms of age-related prejudice.

The Bill aims to close the gender pay gap by forcing firms to "publish their gender pay gap".

Wage gap

Female part-time workers still earned 40% less per hour than their full-time male counterparts, Ms Harman told Today.

"Do we think she is 40% less intelligent, less committed, less hard-working, less qualified? It's not the case. It's entrenched discrimination. It's allowed to persist because it's all swept under the carpet."

The Bill will also seek to stop pensioners being denied NHS treatment because of their age.

Ms Harman said doctors will still be able to refuse treatment if they believe there are sound clinical reason for doing so.

But she added: "Everybody should be treated as individuals and not just discriminated against across the board because of their age."

Age discrimination will also be outlawed in the provision of goods and services, such as holidays and insurance.

It is likely organisations and companies will be given time to review and, if necessary, change their practices before the new law would be enforced.

Other age distinctions, such as free bus passes and holidays for the over-50s or 18-to-30s, will be exempt.

(BBC)

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