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Racial and Religious Hatred Bill

I usually give way, but I know that other Conservative Members want to speak and that only a few more minutes remain. I do not believe that a new blasphemy law should be introduced. In 1979, Lord Scarman said:"““I do not subscribe to the view that the common law offence of blasphemous libel serves no useful purpose in the modern law. On the contrary, I think that there is a case for legislation extending it to protect the religious beliefs and feelings of non-Christians. The offence belongs to a group of criminal offences designed to safeguard the internal tranquillity of the kingdom””," which is a quaint phrase. I wholeheartedly disagree with Lord Scarman. I do not believe that we should introduce a new blasphemy law—we should have the old blasphemy law, a point that I shall address in a moment—and the Bill will not give us a new blasphemy law. It is perfectly possible to distinguish between beliefs and believers, just as in Christian teaching it has always been possible to hate the sin and the love the sinner, which is why I was gratified to hear the Home Secretary make it clear that, for example, confessions of faith in the Anglican Church, which might seem offensive to others, will not fall foul of the Bill.