Equality Bill [HL]

The Minister said something that needs to be clarified. She said that one of the main reasons for Part 2 of the Bill was to give Muslims the same protection as is given to Jews and Sikhs. Does she agree that, under the Race Relations Act 1976, Jews, Sikhs and Muslims are equally protected, if any of them are discriminated against because of their ethnicity, not because of their religion? Part 2 gives new protection to Jews, as well as to Sikhs and Muslims, as it extends the protection of the Race Relations Act beyond ethnicity to religion. If, for example, a Jew or Muslim is discriminated against not because of their ethnicity but because of their religion, they are equally protected. Is that the position?