A new stakeholder group designed to advise ministers on the implementation of the new Equality Bill has been set up by the government.

Meeting once per month, the group will offer advice to the Government Equalities Office on how to strengthen equality protection and streamline discrimination laws.

The Equality Bill – a draft of which is expected in the autumn – will cover race, disability and gender equality and will replace more than 100 separate pieces of legislation.

For employers, it will impose new responsibilities with regards to pay transparency, positive discrimination and diversity in the workplace.

The new group will be made up of officials from numerous charities, campaign groups and industry think-tanks, including the CBI’s director of employment policy Katja Hall and David Ruebain from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

A spokesperson from the Government Equalities Office said recently that tackling the gender pay gap should be a priority for the government.