Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [HL]

My Lords, Amendment No. 22 makes specific provision enabling the commissioner to undertake or assist others in research in any other educational activity the commissioner considers necessary or expedient for the purposes of Clause 2. We are in full agreement with the noble Lord, Lord Prys-Davies, that it is vitally important that the commissioner should be able to undertake such research or educational activities. We have complete confidence that the Bill already allows for the commissioner to do this via his supplementary powers in paragraph 19 of Schedule 1, which provides that the commissioner may do anything that is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or instrumental to, the discharge of his functions. This would include such activities such as commissioning or undertaking research or engaging expert advice, and could be done in connection with any of the commissioner’s functions, not just those in Clause 2. Our disinclination to include this amendment is based purely on our wish to avoid narrowing the ability of the commissioner to undertake such research. I can therefore reassure your Lordships that we are in complete agreement with the spirit of this amendment, and that in our view the Bill already makes adequate provision for research activities. However, given that these points have been forcefully made by my two noble friends, I will reflect on what they have said between now and the next stage of the Bill to see whether any strengthening is needed in the Bill. There is no disagreement between us; it is simply a question of reassuring noble Lords that the Bill will do what we say it will. In the light of what I have sad, I hope the amendments will be withdrawn.