Equality Bill [HL]

Will the Minister be good enough to give some consideration and thought to my noble friend’s amendment? It seems to me that the ability of the commission to help and support people in their legal actions is a considerable power. Although it is right that people who have a serious grievance should be supported if they are without funds, such action can also have the effect of curtailing justice. I hope I shall not trouble the Committee if I repeat the case that we heard earlier of the hotel that regularly puts Bibles in its rooms, which is a perfectly justified and reasonable thing to do. Along comes somebody—a Satanist, say—who objects to that as proselytising and goes to the commission to sue the hotel under the equality legislation. Responding to that and defending its actions may entail huge expenditure for the hotel. The simple thing for it to do is to remove the Bibles and   cut the fuss. That gives the commission or the individual bringing the case the most appalling power to remove justice. That hotel has the right to put Bibles in its rooms. If that right is refused for fear of a large expense in defending the case, it would be a miscarriage of justice. The amendment tabled by the noble Baroness would allow the person making the complaint to be supported as well as the person against whom the complaint is being made. That seems to me to be reasonable, and I hope that the Minister will be good enough to consider it.