Equality Bill [Lords]

It is a pleasure to follow the contribution of the hon. Member for Cardiff, North (Julie Morgan), who speaks on this subject with a lot of passion. I should also declare my interests, which are stated in the Register of Members’ Interests. I had the privilege of leading for the Opposition on this Bill before the general election. On 5 April, I made the Opposition opening speech, in response to the speech of the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the right hon. Member for Leicester, West (Ms Hewitt). Since then, she has been awarded a remarkable promotion—she is now the Secretary of State for Health—whereas I have moved into the obscurity of the Whips Office. That might be something to do with the speech I made at that time. It received the support of my hon. Friend the Member for Buckingham (John Bercow), but I do not know if it was read by my right hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth), and my hon. Friends the Members for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth), for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne), for South Staffordshire (Sir Patrick Cormack), for Monmouth (David T.C. Davies), and for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) I support the broad principles of the Bill. It must make sense to bring the different commissions together into one body, and to add the additional strands of sexual orientation, religion or belief, and age. My party has had grave reservations about the legislation on human rights, but given that no body is charged with the promotion of human rights, it must make sense for that to go to this new commission. I would like the Minister to address clause 13 on monitoring progress. I understand that the commission will be required to publish a report within three years of the Bill coming into force, and every three years thereafter. That will be approximately once in the lifetime of a Parliament. Is that sufficient scrutiny, or does the Minister feel that the report should be produced more regularly?