Clause 56 - Organisations relating to religion or belief
Equality Bill [Lords]
6:15 pm
Evan Harris (Science, Non-Departmental & Cross Departmental Responsibilities; Oxford West and Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)
I am grateful to the Minister for those remarks. He is right that there was the judgment in the Leonard Cheshire case, which was disappointing. I do not think that it was from the Supreme Court, so there is still hope that it will be overtaken by other case law, but otherwise the Government will act. I asked the old Joint Committee on Human Rights what it wanted to do about the problem. In its report it made four suggestions, none of which it was entirely happy with, but there is still agreement that the problem needs to be tackled.
The Leonard Cheshire case showed that the danger existed that there would be discrimination even in what should be perceived as public functions, so the amendments play in an important area. I understood the Minister's specific concern that the contractual provision of the amendment might be too narrow, as it does not take in the wider context of policy from the public authority that is contracting the services, and I shall go away and think about that. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 56 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clauses 57 and 58 ordered to stand part of the Bill.