Racial and Religious Hatred Bill

My Lords, I will not prolong our proceedings for longer than one minute. Last year I tabled amendments to delete the previous government proposal on a religious hatred offence in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill. Like many noble Lords, and in concert with so many others in the country who oppose this Bill in principle, I would have preferred not to have had it. The creation of a religious hatred offence in any form is fraught with difficulty, as we have discussed many times. However, the Government are determined and in that light I support the amendments passed by this House last October, introducing substantial safeguards for free speech and religious freedom. Despite the fact that we have reached a compromise, the Government remain obdurate. I understand that during negotiations held over recent weeks, the Government’s idea of a compromise is to propose amendments that achieve the same results we saw in the original Bill, but using slightly different wording. Is this what the Government always aim to achieve when they offer consultation and negotiations? I am very glad my own party has remained firm. Together with my noble friend Lord Hunt I hope we will continue to do so if this Bill comes back here changed by the Government in another place, ignoring the amendment that was passed, I remind your Lordships, with a majority of 90 in this House.