Equality Bill [HL]

I thank everybody who has taken part in this useful debate. It has gone on for quite a long time, but it has enabled us to air issues and shown where we are all coming from. I am grateful to the Minister for her response; as usual, it was measured, listening and gracious. I appreciate that she wants to reassure me but a word in the statute is worth 1,000 words of measurement in Hansard. The courts do not tend to go to Hansard; they just look at the wording of the Act. I do not think that this amendment is great but I would like the noble Baroness to see whether she can improve it. We have had certain problems. Her point about removing a cross for a particular circumstance such as a Muslim cremation is perfectly valid—so long as it is put back again. But Torbay Council’s decision to rename the chapel of a crematorium a ““ceremony hall””, seemed a bit over the top. I repeat that we are a Christian country. If Christians were being cremated in a Muslim country, would we want them to change the name of their crematorium hall to suit us? Certainly not. I fear that we will see challenges to our Christian heritage relying on this Bill, and that they might even succeed, unless we place on the Bill some recognition and protection of our heritage. That is the aim of my amendment. I should like to trade with the noble Lord, Lord Lester, who ended with a very good quotation from Wittgenstein. I do not have a copy of the Bible with me, but the noble Lord should look at chapter 11, verse 1 of the Letter to the Hebrews alongside Wittgenstein. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 47 agreed to. [Amendment No. 173B not moved.] Clause 48 [Goods, facilities and services]: