HL Deb 17 November 1970 vol 312 cc921-2
LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will extend the Race Relations Acts to Northern Ireland, including their application to discrimination on religious grounds.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD WINDLESHAM)

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government do not have it in mind to introduce legislation to add provisions dealing with discrimination on religious grounds to the Race Relations Acts, or to extend these Acts as they stand to Northern Ireland. Noble Lords will be aware of the wide range of reforming measures being promoted by the Northern Ireland Government.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask him whether this would not be the most direct and simple way of dealing with religious discrimination in Northern Ireland, which causes so much frustration? Do not these Acts now apply not only to public places but to housing and unemployment, and are not these the spheres in which discrimination is most practised?

LORD WINDLESHAM

No, my Lords, it is the practice for the United Kingdom Parliament not to legislate on matters with which the Northern Ireland Parliament can deal except at the request and with the consent of the Northern Ireland Government. During the last year the Northern Ireland Government have promoted a wide range of reforming measures, many of them specifically designed to deal with religious discrimination.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, would Her Majesty's Government bring pressure upon the Government at Stormont to introduce a measure of this kind, which would have such a very definite effect?

LORD WINDLESHAM

My Lords, the reform programme includes no fewer than 12 items which, in one way or another, bear on the question raised by the noble Lord. If I could pick out just one, it would be the Prevention of Incitement to Hatred Act (Northern Ireland) 1970. Many of these points have been covered in the reform programme of the Northern Ireland Government.