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Equality Bill

My Lords, to answer the right reverend Prelate, I do not think we were talking at cross purposes. I was very clear in what I was talking about: the legislation as it stands potentially discriminates against those people who transfer from a public body to an organisation with a religious ethos that is carrying out functions on behalf of a public body. I have a longer speech with which I will not delight the House tonight about the possible discrimination for the users of those services as well, but that is a matter perhaps for another day. I am speaking on the narrow point that we need to protect staff who are transferred from a public body to an organisation which has a strong religious ethos. The questions I have asked relate to that, and it is no good trying to pretend that we are not faced with a real problem here.