We took the view that the amendment to the Public Order Act was not necessary, because there was already considerable protection for freedom of religion and freedom of speech. However, we accepted the Government’s amendment because we were content to accept a clarification of the Public Order Act, and because we thought it right to support the Bill. As I have said many times, the Bill is the product of a great deal of cross-party discussion and compromise on a number of issues which took place to ensure that progress could be made.
Other Members wanted to see further changes, but I think that there is already strong protection in case law, in primary legislation and, indeed, in the Human Rights Act for freedom of religion, freedom of belief and freedom of speech. Freedom of speech goes in both directions. Just as the Bill rightly respects and protects the freedom of belief of those who do not want to celebrate same-sex marriage as part of their religion, we should support and respect freedom of belief for faith groups who do want to celebrate it. It is worth reflecting on the fact that these amendments and these debates show just how far we have come in a short period of time for LGBT equality. When the Labour Government proposed changes to the law to get rid of section 28, to end the bar on serving in the armed forces, to end discrimination in employment, to allow gay adoption and to end discrimination in the provision of goods and services, each time there was strong opposition, but now those changes are taken for granted even by those who opposed them at the time.
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The House of Lords, whose amendments we are discussing, has changed its attitudes very significantly since it voted to block the repeal of section 28 and to vote against gay adoption. Indeed, this time the House of Lords has for the first time been more progressive than the House of Commons, and we should make sure we do not get left behind. In the Commons 69% of those who voted supported the Bill. In the Lords 72% of those who voted supported the Bill. In the Commons the Bill had a majority among Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs, with the support of just under half of Conservative MPs. In the Lords the Bill had a majority of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative peers, and a majority of Cross Benchers too. I hope this House will rise to that challenge by giving even stronger support to the Lords amendments and the Bill in its final stages now.