Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill [HL]

The noble Lord, Lord Harris, has given me the nod to attempt to speak to Amendment No. 142. If I make a mess, I am glad that he will be there to assist me. This is a simple amendment which recognises that acts of omission can be as serious in their consequence as acts of commission. The amendment underlines the fact that failure to do something that is reasonable, as well as taking any positive action, can harm a child or vulnerable adult, or place them at risk of unreasonable harm. It would ensure that the Bill reflected the provisions of Section 7 of the Care Standards Act, which governs the operation of the Protection of Vulnerable Adults list. It would also reflect the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which created a long-overdue criminal offence of ill treatment or neglect of a person who lacks capacity. Neglect can cause serious harm and can be just as distressing to the person suffering it as directly-inflicted physical harm. We all know of examples and I shall not detain the Committee longer by giving examples, but it is inevitable that if the care needs of vulnerable people—who need the proper care and assistance of other people—are neglected, it can have serious consequences. For that reason, I hope that Amendment No. 142, to include ““any action or inaction”” that can lead to harm to a vulnerable person, will be accepted.