Clause 51 - Public authorities: general
Equality Bill [Lords]
4:00 pm
Dominic Grieve (Shadow Attorney General, (Assist the Home Affairs Team); Beaconsfield, Conservative)
I welcome you back to the Chair, Mr. Gale. We have indeed made a lot of progress, and I am sure that we can make much more this afternoon.
The amendments deal with subsection (4)(f) and (g) on immigration rules and entry clearance. Although to stimulate debate I have proposed to leave out both paragraphs, I have different views about each. Paragraph (g) is utterly logical. We know that we have to admit people specifically to fulfil religious duties in Britain. That is an area of exception that has long existed. Judgments are bound to be made in respect of criteria pertaining to religion.
However, paragraph (f) is a little more vague, and I would be grateful if the Minister explained why it is thought necessary to make the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of religion apply to the immigration rules. One can of course think of occasions when one might wish to exclude somebody on the basis of their religion, but that will be not because of the religion itself but because of their behaviour. I wonder whether it is necessary for paragraph (f) to be phrased in such stark terms. Rather, could it not be restricted further? I wait to hear from the Minister about the Government's reasoning on that.