Racial and Religious Hatred Bill

There could be a period during which the police, even if they know that something is happening, wish to investigate further. They may wish to bring someone in under caution for questioning, and they will do that in what they consider to be a responsible way. We seek to prevent somebody from wading into a gathering and acting in an individual way that could exacerbate problems and tensions rather than reduce them. In the spirit of consensus, it might be a little churlish to explain to the House why the Government new clause is superior to the amendment tabled by the hon. Member for Beaconsfield. However, it is my duty to do so. There are one or two technical difficulties with the hon. Gentleman’s suggestion. More seriously, we have made a great effort in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 to consolidate all powers of arrest in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Rather than having them scattered, we will have them in one place. That is why we are proposing an amendment to the 1984 Act rather than to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act. This has not been an issue in terms of race hate law, which has worked perfectly well for nearly 20 years, but the equality of protection, which is a fundamental principle within the Bill, is important. That is why we propose to extend the exception that we are introducing to cover both religious and race hatred. I hope that what I have said illustrates that we have been listening to the concerns that have been expressed.