Publication of Sexual Orientation (Goods and Services) GB Regulations

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th Mar 2007

Commenting on the publication of GB regulations which prohibit discrimination in the provision of Goods and Services in on the grounds of Sexual Orientation, Dr Evan Harris MP, President of the Liberal Democrat Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Equality (DELGA), said:

"I welcome the fact that there is no sign of any wider concession to religious organisations seeking the right to continue to discriminate in commercial or public services, beyond the transitional 20 months being allowed for Catholic adoption agencies and the narrow exemptions, already covered in the earlier Northern Ireland regulations,

for such organisations carrying out strictly religious activities."

"The Joint Committee on Human Rights has agreed that the right not to be discriminated against in public services and in the commercial world overrides any right for religious prejudice to be manifested."

"The protection against harassment that was present in the Northern Ireland regulations has been dropped from the GB regulations pending the outcome of the long-delayed Discrimination Law Review which is considering this issue as well as religious harassment. The Government must get on with publishing the consultation on that review as lesbian and gay people including school students are entitled to protection from harassment."

"It is amazing that it has taken the Government one month short of ten years to provide this protection from the indignity and distress of discrimination for the lesbian and gay community when its 1997 manifesto promised to end unjustified discrimination wherever it existed."