Equality Bill [HL]

My Lords, we on these Benches greatly welcome Amendment No. 25. As the Minister has clearly explained, it reduces the breadth of the exceptions for faith schools to the duty of non-discrimination on grounds of religion or belief in Part 2 of the Bill. That was in response to criticism made by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, on which I serve, and by my colleague Dr Evan Harris MP in the other place. I am sure that the Joint Committee will be particularly gratified by this. This is not unimportant. The amendment restricts the faith schools’ exception in Clause 49, so that the exception to the duty not to discriminate does not permit religious discrimination in exclusions or allow discrimination in subjecting pupils to any other detriment. The Minister in the other place, Meg Munn MP, commented:"““we are happy to make it clear that the exception is intended to be limited only to those areas which are essential in order to enable faith schools to continue to operate as such””." That is very important, since I am sure that Members on both sides of the House will not want introduced into Great Britain or into England and Wales the segregated system of education that has led to so much trouble in Northern Ireland. Indeed, a case in which I was involved illustrates the problem; even in a place such as Mauritius, the Privy Council had to strike down on religious discrimination in access to faith schools. The Government have also undertaken, as I read the record, to provide non-statutory guidance to schools, making it clear that the exceptions under the Bill do not override the rights of non-discrimination under the Human Rights Act. We in the Joint Committee on Human Rights and on these Benches, I am sure, welcome the amendment and the undertaking to provide guidance on the non-discrimination obligations of schools under the Human Rights Act. We trust that the guidance will be produced before Part 2 of the Bill comes into force; it will be helpful if the Minister could give some indication that that is so. Having said that, we very much welcome the amendment.