Clause 10 - Groups
Equality Bill [Lords]
6:15 pm
Evan Harris (Science, Non-Departmental & Cross Departmental Responsibilities; Oxford West and Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)
I agree with everything that the hon. and learned Lady has said. I just want to endorse what she has said about the immutability of the hierarchy that is being established. Enough distress and disappointment has already been created by introducing protections against discrimination that included only religion. Protections against sexual orientation were not included initially. I hope, and firmly believe, that a single equality Bill and the outcome of the equality review and the discrimination law review will sort out the problem.
I strongly support the hon. and learned Lady when she says that clause 10, as it stands, in what is effectively the commission’s constitution, retains those hierarchies long after everyone has as equal rights in law as possible.