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Equality Bill [HL]

My Lords, I should like to give an extra shove to the expert probe of the noble Lord, Lord Carter, for Amendment No. 26 with regard to making encouraging noises about setting up a mental health action group again. The noble Lord said that he had a feeling of déjà vu and I did too. I remember the chair of the National Disability Council, which preceded the DRC, saying that when people were interviewed for a job, they preferred the gap in their CV to be interpreted as a possible spell in prison rather than in a mental health hospital. We still have a very long way to go; we do not seem to have progressed very much since then. A positive, encouraging statement from the Minister would be extremely valuable. I hope that the Minister will be able to accept Amendment No. 29 on consultation, so expertly moved by the noble Lord, Lord Ashley, or at least come back with something of her own. I would love her to accept Amendment No. 107 on the transition commissioner but if she does not feel that she can at present, I would urge her to think very carefully about it before Third Reading. I am delighted that the EOC and the DRC supported putting the transition commissioner on the same basis as their commissioners. The DRC says that at least one formal investigation and a number of legal cases would probably just be coming to a crucial point when, as the Bill stands, their transition commissioner would fizzle out. I hope that the Minister will consider that very carefully.