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Racial and Religious Hatred Bill

I wanted to say a briefer word to support the noble Lord, Lord Clinton-Davis. This is a bad Bill. The Government should be given a chance to take it away and think again. It is difficult to improve a bad Bill with amendment. It can be done, but there is one aspect—I am giving only one—of the amendment that I could not possibly support. It was raised by the noble Viscount, Lord Colville of Culross. It relates to the practicalities, the difficulties and the directions to the jury; the problems of enforcement. They are serious and they have not been truly debated or discussed. We do not want law that is not properly enforceable and we do not want to be rushed into it. If there is a Division I shall abstain, but what I do is of no importance to anyone. However, it is of some importance that the Government should be given another opportunity to take away a Bill that has been severely criticised by my noble and learned friend Lord Mackay of Clashfern and by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Winchester.