Dominic Grieve (Shadow Attorney General, (Assist the Home Affairs Team); Beaconsfield, Conservative)

I welcome the Minister, who has been a good companion during the discussion of many a Bill in these Committee Rooms over the past few years. In the course of this morning, and probably this afternoon, when we come to consider the question of discrimination on the grounds of religion, I hope to provide him with a reassurance that most of the amendments are of a probing nature.

Although no amendments have been tabled to the clause, it is worth pointing out that most of the amendments that follow focus on the question of differentiating—if there is a difference to be found—between religion and religious belief, and belief. With that in mind, I do not intend to take up more of the Committee’s time on this clause. It may even be necessary, depending on the answers that I get from the Minister in the course of subsequent debates, to come back to clause 43 on Report if I am not happy with the definitions provided.

Paul Goggins (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Wythenshawe & Sale East, Labour)

It is very welcome to see you in the Chair, Mrs. Anderson. I do not think that I have been a Minister under your chairpersonship before. I look forward to that, as indeed I look forward to further probing from the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve) and, no doubt, probing and other remarks and comments from my hon. Friends. I do not wish to detain the Committee on this clause, although, as the hon. Gentleman suggests, it is at the heart of all the debates that we are likely to have over the succeeding Committee sittings. The definition of religion that we have adopted is necessarily broad. It accords with article 9 of the European convention on human rights. I look forward to further discussions on the implications of the definitions that we have adopted as our proceedings unfold.