Equality Bill

In view of what the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Southwark, said about the way in which legal advice has developed, I had better quickly declare my interest as a practising solicitor and the other entries in the Register. I am not sure what has happened, as the whole purpose of the Bill is to clarify and consolidate. Reading across the amendments that are being put forward, there is an attempt to make sure that everyone understands where they will stand and whether the status quo is being changed in any way. A lot of our debates will be about that. The world outside wants clarity, which is certainly the message that I have been receiving loud and clear from so many different lobbies. Oversights can occur with lawyers from time to time, though I suppose that in this case it might be the parliamentary draftsman who is to blame. Although I bear my fair share of the blame, so far as Scotland is concerned, I think that the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, is right: we just need to know what effect the provisions will have. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Gould of Potternewton, for continuously trying to clarify exactly what is happening. We await with great interest an answer to the question of whether it was indeed inadvertence or whether there was some other motive behind it. If so, the Committee deserves a full explanation.