The Equality Act 2006 replaced the Commission for Racial Equality (CRC), the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and created one single body to cover all areas: the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
The EHRC came into being in October 2007, with powers across all equality law (race, sex, disability, religion and belief, sexual orientation and age).
The first chair of the EHRC was Trevor Phillips.
The EHRC covers England, Scotland and Wales.
A separate Equality Commission for Northern Ireland had already been established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998.