Racial and Religious Hatred Bill

We think that it is completely unfair to criticise the way in which the Minister or her colleagues have behaved. If the Government had been able to show us the colour of their money at any time before this evening, we would not have divided. I understand that for certain reasons they have not been able to. We now have a framework and as we have voted early in the process, the Government have plenty of time to consider improving the Bill in consultation with us. Frankly, all the amendments now being considered do not need to be discussed—although, if people insist, they have a right to do so—because they fall away as we now have a proper framework. The only one that might need to be discussed, although I pray that it will not be, is the one on blasphemy. Therefore, it seems to me that we are taking up parliamentary time unnecessarily by going through all these other variations that would have arisen only if we had not passed the main amendment.