Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill

It is my pleasure. As the Committee knows, my view is that one should always accept what the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee tells one, or at least have that conversation in great detail. Where we have done that, we like to move the relevant amendments as quickly as possible, for the reasons that the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, rightly gave. I was not sure whether the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, was referring to all legislation across government. I was delighted that I had spotted the relevant provision in the Bill. I was the Minister who took the Equality Bill through the Lords and therefore I am much more alive to these questions. However, the noble Lord makes a very valid point. On issues as vital as dealing with racial or other discrimination, it is important to recognise that a new commission will be in place by 2009. I will see whether there is anything I can do to ensure that the matter has been picked up by the relevant Ministers in the DTI, who have overall responsibility for it, to ensure that colleagues and parliamentary counsel in particular are alive to it. The noble Lord, Lord Dholakia, rightly indicated that interesting debates are taking place at the moment to ensure that we take forward the work of the Commission for Racial Equality as effectively as we might. A number of Ministers have engaged in conversation with groups to ensure that we address their concerns through the new commission. For my part, I think that bringing together the commissions is an important move, but we must retain our commitment to discrimination and equality issues right across the spectrum and ensure that organisations that have worked incredibly hard over the years in their respective fields do not feel that their work will be in any way undermined. It is important in this and all legislation that we look to the new commission to consider its own role in identifying areas of work it might undertake, which would help us in the context of this amendment to ensure that these issues are addressed effectively by employers, that the Government are working well with it, and that it will help us ensure that that is the case. I fully take on board what the noble Lord, Lord Dholakia, has said. On Question, amendment agreed to.