Equality Bill [HL]

I am a bit more of an old stager in that I cut my political teeth as the sixer of the elf six in the Brownies. I was then a Guide, and I ended up as the training adviser for Guides responsible, as I said, for religious policy. I am glad that the amendment has been proposed, because organisations such as the Guides need a bit of clarity about how the Bill will apply to them. It is not only the Guides; the Scouts, the Boys’ Brigade and the Girls’ Guildry must all have the same problem. I pity any government or any Human Rights Commission that takes on 300,000 British Brownies and tens of thousands of leaders. Any government simply would not survive it. I hope that the noble Baroness will be able to confirm to the Guides and the other organisations that they have nothing to fear, particularly in relation to employment. That must be a trickier issue than the membership of the young people. I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say.