Equality Bill [HL]

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 22 to 24 and 26 to 30. These amendments are all minor and technical. Amendment No. 22 corrects the grammar of the part of Clause 45 that deals with exceptions for providers of specialist services. It has no other purpose or effect. Amendments Nos. 23 and 24 change Clause 47 to reflect numbering changes in Clause 46, which, as your Lordships will remember, followed the removal of provisions relating to harassment from that clause. Amendments Nos. 26 to 29 remove remaining references to harassment from Clause 51, which deals with public authorities. Those changes are consequent on the removal by your Lordships’ House of the harassment provisions from Part 2. Amendment No. 30 changes the definition of discrimination in Regulation 3 of the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 to make it clear that religious discrimination in the area of employment and vocational training is unlawful, even when committed against a person who is of the same religion as the discriminator. That is the intention and, we believe, the effect of the regulation as it stands, but the amendment is there to resolve any doubt about the matter. We made a similar amendment in your Lordships’ House to what is now Clause 45. Having considered the case made in Committee in the other place that that leaves an apparent inconsistency between the Bill as amended by the Government in this House and the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations, we have concluded that a similar clarification to the regulations would be helpful. As I said, these are all necessary, minor amendments and I commend them to your Lordships’ House. Moved, That the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 22 to 24 and 26 to 30.—(Baroness Ashton of Upholland.) On Question, Motion agreed to. 25 Clause 49, page 30, line 11, leave out ““48(1)”” and insert ““48(1)(a), (b) and (c)(i) and (ii)””