Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Sheffield, Heeley, Labour)

I beg to move amendment No. 1, in clause 92, page 56, line 6, after 'But', insert—  

'(a) section [Sexual orientation: regulations for Northern Ireland] extends only to Northern Ireland, and

(b) '.

Roger Gale (North Thanet, Conservative)

With this it will be convenient to discuss Government new clause 1—Sexual orientation: regulations for Northern Ireland.

Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Sheffield, Heeley, Labour)

When sexual orientation discrimination was debated in the other place, the Government made clear their view that it is simply not acceptable for that sort of discrimination to occur in a modern and diverse society. On Report, my noble Friend Baroness Scotland referred to the commitment made my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to legislate at the earliest possible opportunity in this Parliament to tackle sexual orientation discrimination.

Clause 80 enables us to fulfil that commitment to legislate to prohibit sexual orientation discrimination in Great Britain. However, it does not apply to Northern Ireland. It has its own long established and detailed anti-discrimination framework, which is separate from the framework that applies to Great Britain. However, there is no reason to believe that discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is any less invidious in Northern Ireland than in any other part of the United Kingdom.

This Government consider that people in Northern Ireland should not lack the protections from discrimination available throughout Great Britain. We also believe that such protection must be consistent with the broader framework of mechanisms that already exist in relation to anti-discrimination and equality law in Northern Ireland. The amendment will ensure that protection from discrimination in Northern Ireland need be no less than that existing elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 92, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.