Discrimination against older people in the provision of goods and services will be outlawed as part of a "radical shift" in Government policies.

Many elderly people have complained they have been patronised by doctors and denied health, travel and car insurance.

But GPs will still have the right to reserve treatment for older patients if there are clinical reasons.

Commons Leader Harriet Harman told MPs that steps would also be taken to ensure a "new era of openness" on pay in a bid to close the gap between men's and women's earnings.

Companies bidding for work funded by taxpayers' money will be expected to compete on equality grounds.

Ms Harman said she hoped the measures would help create a "fair and equal society".

For the Tories, Theresa May broadly welcomed the "good intentions" but said Ms Harman's announcement lacked detail and the measures on ending age discrimination were "baffling and disappointing".

On the positive discrimination measures, she said: "Until now the Government has rightly sought to stamp out discrimination.

"This Bill takes a different approach. It will include measures to prevent discrimination and measures to allow discrimination in certain circumstances.

"It introduces further complexity and confuses the Government's message.

"After all these years, I think this is a huge missed opportunity. The Government could today have been introducing a revolutionary approach to equalities legislation, promoting fairness and diversity within a positive and sensible framework."

Some campaigners do not believe the Bill tackles all inequalities in the workplace.

Liberal Democrat Youth & Equality spokeswoman Lynne Featherstone said: "If the Government genuinely wants to tackle equality it must do more to end the growing discrepancy between the rules on pay for the public and private sector.

"Without compulsory pay audits for the private sector these proposals will represent a very real victory for the hawks in the cabinet.

"Public sector equality rights are fast becoming an ivory tower that private sector employees can only dream of.

"A few tick-box questionnaires for government suppliers on their equality policy are going to do little to change the day-to-day opportunities for the 20 million people who work in the private sector."

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