Business of the House

Tuesday was Report stage of the Equality Bill, and our amendment on caste went through (www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200910/ldhansrd/text/100302-0005.htm#10030266000719). It provides that an order can be made adding caste to the 'protected characteristics', ie those which are protected against discrimination such as gender, race etc. We even got a supportive word or two from the Tory front bench spokesperson, Baroness Warsi, which may turn out to be useful if they win the election.

Wednesday morning, Select Committee meeting to consider a second draft of our report on protection of Europe from large-scale cyber attacks. Hosted Bangladesh Major-General (retd) Ansa Amin for lunch.

Thursday, I spoke on an immigration order and regulations (www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200910/ldhansrd/text/100304-0014.htm). The Minister, Lord West, didn't have many answers to my questions, and where he did venture an off the cuff reply, he got it wrong. Iris recognition technology, already in use at all major airports in gates allowing automatic entry, isn't less reliable than facial recognition technology, and my question about the need for a second set of gates based on the latter technology still remains.