HL Deb 20 March 2001 vol 623 c154WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will ensure that any legislative measure they introduce forbidding religious discrimination also forbids discrimination on the ground of lack of religious belief. [HL1154]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

Under Section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998, the Minister in charge of a Bill must give his or her view about the compatibility of the Bill's provisions with the Convention rights. The case law of the European Court on Human Rights has established that Article 9 of the Convention protects atheists and agnostics.