It is unlawful for a public authority in carrying out any functions of the authority to do any act which constitutes discrimination.
It is unlawful for a public authority to subject a person to harassment in the course of carrying out any functions of the authority which consist of the provision of—
(a) any form of social security;
(b) healthcare;
(c) any other form of social protection; or
(d) any form of social advantage,
which does not fall within section 20.
In this section “public authority”—
(a) includes any person certain of whose functions are functions of a public nature; but
(b) does not include any person mentioned in subsection (3).
The persons mentioned in this subsection are—
(a) either House of Parliament;
(b) a person exercising functions in connection with proceedings in Parliament;
(c) the Security Service;
(d) the Secret Intelligence Service;
(e) the Government Communications Headquarters; and
(f) any unit or part of a unit of any of the naval, military or air forces of the Crown which is for the time being required by the Secretary of State to assist the Government Communications Headquarters in carrying out its functions.
In relation to a particular act, a person is not a public authority by virtue only of subsection (2)(a) if the nature of the act is private.
This section is subject to sections 19C to 19F.
Nothing in this section makes unlawful any act of discrimination or harassment which—
(a) is made unlawful by virtue of any other provision of this Act; or
(b) would be so made but for any provision made by or under this Act.