Equality Bill [Lords]

On the point made by the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mrs. Laing), in 2001, I went with two of my constituents to meet the Minister’s predecessor in the Home Office, who then dealt with these matters and who gave us an assurance that the Government would introduce a gender Act. From that day forward, we saw the Government take action, irrespective of who the Minister might be. With that precedent in mind, we can accept with confidence the assurance that she has given, even though she may not be in the post—I hope that she is—when the Bill is enacted.