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Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

My Lords, the Secretary of State has made that abundantly clear on more than one occasion. It is the intention, whatever the case may, to have broad parity between the regulations within the United Kingdom so there should not be any major difficulty with that. Before I come to the set piece and answer some of the questions I would just like to run by the House some of the issues these regulations do not cover. They do not impact on the taught curriculum in schools in Northern Ireland—that is a matter for the Department of Education. The regulations cannot lead to the promotion of homosexuality in schools. They are not concerned with what is taught in schools but in ensuring fair and equal access to education and the facilities and services associated with it. It is not the Government’s intention to attack religious ethos.