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Equality Bill [HL]

My Lords, let me respond to the interesting—it says here—point of the noble Lord, Lord Lester. I am sure it is interesting, although it is a technical point. As the noble Lord knows, we are aware that the EOC has supported cases that went beyond the Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act to include matters that engaged European Community equality law and non-discrimination legislation. As the noble Lord said, the Law Lords interpreted Section 75 of the Sex Discrimination Act as extending to the provision of legal assistance to cases alleging that UK employment legislation was discriminatory against women in contravention of European Community law. We will need to confirm with parliamentary counsel that the current drafting of the Bill will also allow the commission to provide legal assistance in cases where an individual seeks to bring a case that a UK non-equality statute is in breach of European equality legislation. We will indeed look at the matter carefully and make sure that we write to the noble Lord before Third Reading. On Question, amendment agreed to.