I actually mistyped "L5″ for L2. The quote is otherwise accurate: equality law is reserved to Westminster. I would apologise for my slip of the finger only I am damned well not going to apologise to someone who calls me a liar.

Here for the doubting Thomas's is the whole section. You can find it by adding "www" to this:

opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980046_en_15

The exception refers in essence to the point that the Scottish ministers may encourage equality, but they may not regulate it:

Equal opportunities, including the subject-matter of–

(a) the Equal Pay Act 1970,

(b) the Sex Discrimination Act 1975,

(c) the Race Relations Act 1976, and

(d) the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Exceptions

The encouragement (other than by prohibition or regulation) of equal opportunities, and in particular of the observance of the equal opportunity requirements.

Imposing duties on–

(a) any office-holder in the Scottish Administration, or any Scottish public authority with mixed functions or no reserved functions, to make arrangements with a view to securing that the functions of the office-holder or authority are carried out with due regard to the need to meet the equal opportunity requirements, or

(b) any cross-border public authority to make arrangements with a view to securing that its Scottish functions are carried out with due regard to the need to meet the equal opportunity requirements.

Interpretation

"Equal opportunities" means the prevention, elimination or regulation of discrimination between persons on grounds of sex or marital status, on racial grounds, or on grounds of disability, age, sexual orientation, language or social origin, or of other personal attributes,including beliefs or opinions, such as religious beliefs or political opinions.

"Equal opportunity requirements" means the requirements of the law for the time being relating to equal opportunities.

"Scottish functions" means functions which are exercisable in or as regards Scotland and which do not relate to reserved matters.

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Everyone got that? can't remember Gordon Brown every saying anything similar.

Did everyone get that. It's a quote from the SNP justice secretary.

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Anyway, the point is, the Scottish government and parliament are yet again pushing forward with legislation which Westminster has problems with.

Hey ho. I'm sure the likes of harry will still post some lies about it.

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You will not be surprised to learn that I have a copy of the Scotland act, and you and your ilk, are talking utter nonsense.

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I find it profoundly depressing to hear that the Scottish Parliment begins the day with prayers.

Although I am still up beat about the benefits of the assembly for Scotland, it just feels a retrograde step to have religion so embedded in the parliments foundation.

What has happened to Scottish Enlightenment values in the assembly . . . Surely science reason and liberty is so much more intrinsic to a Scottish identity then religion.

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Thanks for your comments on devolution but being a lawyer with an interest in constitutional affairs I do understand it

paragrpah L5 of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 (a very long schedule of all the reserved powers of the Westminster parliament in relation to Scotland reserves "equal opportunities" which is defined as "means the prevention, elimination or regulation of discrimination between persons on grounds of sex or marital status, on racial grounds, or on grounds of disability, age, sexual orientation, language or social origin, or of other personal attributes, including beliefs or opinions, such as religious beliefs or political opinions".

So like (to take some subjects at random) weights and measures, abortion and the succession to the Crown, this is not a Holyrood matter

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I could not agree more. Religion is nothing short of superstition, along the same lines as voodoo or devil worship. It's all quite frankly nuts. I still can't believe we still have state funded catholic schools in Scotland – but that has a very, very long history to why it happened. But it has done Scotland no good.

All relgigious schools are bad, as they are focussed on indoctrination and child brain washing. Those in favour of them, say they give better results, but that is deceptive, and is due to them being selective. If you only pick good pupils, you'll always get good results.

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regarding your statement 'equality is not devolved'. I'm sorry, but it really depends what you mean. Scots law is ENTIRELY devolved. The Scottish parliament makes the law in Scotland (with very,very few exceptions like terrorism). Westminster only has control over a few issues.

Devolution has restored a lot of power to the Scottish parliament. So, as far as equality legislation goes, I'm sorry, but westminster does not have a say. It is decided by the democratically elected government in Scotland.

You don't seem to understand what devolution means in reality;

In Scotland for example, the following are completely under the control of the Scottish parliament; health, education, transport, law and order, social services, to name just a few. To make it clearer, for example, the health secretary in london has no say whatsoever on the health policy in Scotland, whether it be for GP's, dentists, doctors and so on. The pay and conditions are negotiated separately in Scotland by the health secretary from the Scottish government.

Last year for example, there was a row because the police in England did not get the pay award they were promised. In Scotland, the Scottish government chose to award the full pay rise to the police.

I would dispute the premise that religions have more influence in Scotland on politics, I mean you can't really be serious saying that. Take a wee peak into the house of lords, and you'll see it's full of bishops and C of E bigwigs. They still say prayers every day in the house of commons for heavens sake!!

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The SNP is center-left and is secretly planing with the ultra-right-RCC "to avoid new legislation requiring religious adoption agencies to help gay couples".

In other words the SNP is center-left and grows turnips on apple trees. Uh-Uh, OK, anything you say, J.

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If there is no means of holding the Scottish charity regulator to account for this then we should make sure that the new Equality Bill currently passing through Westminster (equality is not devolved, rightly as the increased religious influences in Scotland compared to England would give it a harder time) we should close this loophole. there will be the usual strangulated squawks from the Catholics and their allies on the other side of the religious divide, which it is safe to ignore.

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Who gave that freak a computer anyway? So far he has not written ONE sentence on this site without sounding like a compete lunatic.

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Thanks for this information about the proceses of decriminalisation of homosexuality in Scotland.

With regards 1980 as the date . . . this is even more depressing than my 1979, and also an odd situation that Scotland had to wait over two decasdes for a change in the law.

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