I agree with the Minister that the question is not whether we legislate, but how we legislate. We have signed up to the European convention on human rights and, as far as I am aware, this country has never failed to follow the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, whichever party has been in power. I will not use today’s sitting to debate whether that should be questioned—that is an argument for another day.

My hon. Friends have raised legitimate concerns about the nature of this provision and its intrinsic unfairness, and I agree with nearly everything that has been said. Unfortunately, we are discussing maximising the protections given to the Court’s judgment. The Minister referred to a list of eminent people who took one view or another. We do not feel that the right balance has been struck. The issues involved are more fundamental than whether we want to share retirement homes with racists or people with other nasty views.