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Equality Bill [HL]

In terms of promotional activities, that is right under Clause 14. In the Bill more generally there is nothing to stop the commission delegating powers or particular projects to the committees, if it wished to. In other words, what we are trying to do is set out the things we believe it is important to cover for the committees, while leaving it open for the commission to determine what it wishes to delegate, for all the reasons I discussed at some length earlier in our debates. I shall just deal with the specific amendment, so I can make sure that I have covered all the points made by my noble friend Lady Gale. The commissioners appointed for Scotland and Wales will have a very important role to play, not only in their role as chair of Scotland and Wales committees but more generally on the commission itself. We do not underestimate the amount of time that they will have to spend in these crucial areas, but I do not want to prescribe before we have a commission and before the chair is appointed what the role and the nature of the involvement of the commissioners should be. We will, of course, consider these issues carefully and consult the chair at the appropriate time. I take on board the points made by my noble friend and by other Members of the Committee who talked about the value of the commissioners currently working in Scotland and Wales and the importance of their role. I have just been given some additional information on the point that the noble Lord, Lord Dholakia, asked me about. The size of the Scotland and Wales committees is not specified; their membership can be as big or small as is necessary. Again, it is partly for the commission to determine. The appointments to the committees’ membership will be made in consultation with the devolved administrations, as my noble friend would expect. As I have said, there is nothing to prevent the commission delegating powers or particular projects to these committees, as the commission sees fit. That fits with everything I said earlier about ensuring that the committee is not fettered in the way that it does. We would expect that the committees would work closely with the commission in awarding grants, particularly in Scotland and Wales. That goes back to a point that my noble friend Lord Prys-Davies made about money. Paragraphs 20 and 28 in Schedule 1 ensure that the commission must consult the committees before exercising any function, such as awarding grants, that may affect people in Scotland and Wales. We expect that the commission in Scotland will give effect to the communities duty in a way that is relevant for the Scottish context. As my noble friend Lady Gale said, that means working closely with the different community-based organisations and statutory agencies that are relevant in Scotland and Wales. I take my noble friend’s point about not being a mirror image, which is important in that context. On the basis that we have the committees set up appropriately, because the flexibility still exists, and the chairs of the committees will sit as part of the commission itself; and because we are in good dialogue with the devolved administrations to ensure that they are fully consulted and involved, and the delegation is available to the commission as it sees fit; and because in Clause 14 we have covered some of the issues around promotional activity, I hope that my noble friend will feel comfortable enough to withdraw her amendment.