The government has today begun the process of stripping back unwanted elements of the Equalities Act.

The Home Office claims that last year’s legislation scrapped 100 sets of regulations in an effort to lighten the burden of red tape on businesses.

But it will come under the spotlight again in the coming weeks as part of the government’s ‘Red Tape Challenge’, which invites individuals and businesses to comment on policy changes.

Ministers have also appointed Caroline Waters, director of people and policy at BT, as a ‘sector champion’ to marry the needs of businesses with the effort to ensure equality in the workplace.

Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone said: ‘The Equality Act is here to stay. Fairness and opportunity for all remain at the heart of government.

'But there is always more we can do to ensure that business is not being strangled by red tape.

‘We want to know whether the act could be simplified, better implemented or if certain provisions should be dropped or amended, or whether it should be kept exactly as it is.’

Work started as early as last December to unwind elements of the Equality Act, with measures over gender pay reported dropped and companies invited to publish workforce data on a voluntary basis.

Waters added: ‘This is such an exciting opportunity to really focus on the intent of the legislation and to make sure that we have a legislative framework that supports our desire to become an ever fairer society that can effectively compete in the global economy.’

The Red Tape Challenge website was founded in April by prime minister David Cameron and business secretary Vince Cable.

It focuses on individual sectors across government policy, and has six cross-cutting themes: employment law, pensions, company law, equalities, health and safety and environment legislation.