Caste Discrimination

Lord Lester of Herne Hill Excerpts

Wednesday 15th July 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, it would not be appropriate for me to speculate on discussions within government. I do not want to comment on or rule out any course of action. As I have said a couple of times now, the Government are considering the present position.

[Lord Lester of Herne Hill (LD)]

My Lords—

[Lord Singh of Wimbledon (CB)]

My Lords—

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con)]

My Lords, it is the turn of the Lib Dem Benches and then we have time to go to the Cross Benches.

[Lord Lester of Herne Hill]

Will the Minister explain how her replies are compatible with parliamentary supremacy, given that Parliament decided to insert the duty into the statute? Will she also explain how it is compatible with legal certainty, given that the only way one could do it through case law would be by going to the Supreme Court, at a cost of many hundreds of thousands of pounds, when Parliament has decided that it should be done by us by statute?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I repeat once again that the Government will be actively considering this, and will take their view in due course.