The Roman Catholic Church and other religious bodies cannot be exempted from new laws banning discrimination against gay (homosexuals) people, Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor, said yesterday. He resisted attempts by Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary, to water down the rules to enable Catholic adoption agencies to turn away same-sex (homosexuals) couples. The Equality Act 2006, which comes into force in April, bans discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services on the basis of (homo)sexual orientation. Miss Kelly, a Catholic and a member of the Opus Dei sect, is under pressure from the Catholic Church to include an exemption for church-run adoption agencies. Lord Falconer told BBC television's Sunday AM programme: "We have introduced laws which prevent discrimination against people on the basis of their (homo)sexual orientation; those laws should be given full effect. "We do take the view in this country that you shouldn't be discriminated against on that basis and think that applies to everybody, whatever your religion." Downing Street has proposed a possible compromise under which Catholic agencies could refuse to accept gay (homosexual) couples but would have a duty to refer them to agencies that would accept them. A spokesman for Miss Kelly's Department of Communities and Local Government confirmed yesterday that discussions were under way in Whitehall on the new rules, but denied that "preferential treatment" would be given to an individual faith. "We are absolutely committed to bringing forward effective protection from discrimination on the basis of (homo)sexual orientation and fully recognise the value of gay (homosexual) and lesbian parents," said the spokesman.