5 Equality Act 2006 (Sexual Orientation)
Regulations 2007
| Date introduced
Previous Reports
| 7 March 2007
6th Report of 2006-07
|
5.1 We reported on the Sexual Orientation Regulations in our Sixth
Report of this Session. We received the Government response to
our Report, in a letter from the Secretary of State for Local
Government and Communities dated 7 March 2007. The Government
also laid the Great Britain Regulations on that date, and these
were subsequently approved by both Houses. In relation to the
question raised in our Sixth Report[28]
as to whether the Government shared our view that the regulations
cover the curriculum and the delivery of it, we welcome the clarification,
in the debate on the Great Britain Regulations in the House of
Lords on 21 March 2007, of the Minister, Baroness Andrews, who
stated in response to questions:
He [Lord Lester of Herne Hill] asked me to agree that there
was no need to exempt the curriculum, and I can do so. As I explained,
the curriculum is not liable to be detrimental in itself, and
so the concept of exemption would not apply. Where discrimination
really hurts children is in how the curriculum is taught, and
that is caught by the regulations. I reiterate that there should
be no issue where guidelines are followed by schools, because
the guidelines provide for the teaching of sexual relationships
in a manner which is designed to be non-stigmatising and to promote
respect.[29]
In answer to his second point, if we agreed that
a public authority mandated a curriculum that requires teachers
to act in a discriminatory way in breach of regulations, it could
be subject to judicial review.[30]
We publish the letter of 7 March 2007 as an Appendix
to this Report without further comment, to inform Parliament and
the public.[31]
5.2 We intend to return to this matter, including
the treatment of harassment, and differences of the regulations
between Northern Ireland and GB when the Government publishes
the Discrimination Law Review, and in the light of the outcome
of any judicial reviews in this area.
28 Sixth Report of Session 2006-07, Legislative
Scrutiny: Sexual Orientation Regulations, HL Paper 58/HC 350,
para. 67. Back
29
HL Deb, 21 March 2007, col. 1330. Back
30
ibid. Back
31
Appendix 5. Back
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