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The equalities minister has defended the government's decision to scrap public sector equality assessments.
Lynne Featherstone came to the Commons this morning to answer an urgent question on the matter.
She said that equality was "at the heart of the coalition", but the section of the Equality Act 2010 establishing a duty on public sector bodies to carry out assessments was unnecessary.
"You cannot solve a problem like inequality with one weak clause," she told MPs.
Featherstone said the duty, which had not been introduced yet, would have meant "another bureaucratic box to tick, another form to fill in".
Instead the coalition will concentrate on "real action, not unecessary gestures".
Shadow equalities minister Fiona Mactaggart complained that the policy change was not announced to the Commons before it was reported in the media.
She said at the very least she would have expected a written ministerial statement.
"The Conservatives never want government to take responsibility for building an equal society," she told the House.
Mactaggart said dropping the equality duty, "a major part of the Equality Act", was not part of the coalition agreement.
She accused the government of not caring about socio-economic equality and asked how the impact of spending cuts on the poorest women will be measured.
Featherstone replied that 13 years of Labour government resulted in a more unequal society and this "weak clause" represented "everything bad about politics".
She said the pupil premium is the "single most important measure in changing children's life chances" and the government is committed to "outcomes not ticking boxes".
Glenda Jackson (Lab, Hampstead and Kilburn) said cuts in housing benefit would make thousands of children homeless.
Emma Reynolds (Lab, Wolverhampton NE) called the decision one of a series that have "betrayed" women.
Peter Bone (Con, Wellingborough) told MPs he has no idea what an gender equality assessment is, but this "left-wing tosh" and should be scrapped.
David Winnick (Lab, Walsall North) said the equalities minister had demonstrated that like all Lib Dem ministers she has become "simply the mouthpiece of the Tories".
Featherstone said that comment was "charming but inaccurate".
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