Equality Bill

My Lords, I have received a powerful letter from a Quaker telling me something I had not known before—that the Quakers, at their yearly meeting last year, decided to seek a change in the law so that what the noble Baroness, Lady Neuberger, described could come to pass. This is a permissive amendment and I am utterly persuaded by it. I would be totally opposed to it being a requirement, because many churches would find this utterly abhorrent; but in so far as there are churches and synagogues and other faith places that would like this to happen, it is entirely appropriate and I support the amendment.