Company Law Reform Bill [HL]

My Lords, methinks the Minister doth protest too much. We were treated to a long explanation of Part 32 and why it was justified but I did not challenge Part 32 in my opening remarks. Indeed, the Minister will not find an amendment on the Marshalled List that seeks to reopen the issues on Part 32 that we debated in Grand Committee. I was convinced by the discussion in Grand Committee and the subsequent letter from the noble Lord, Lord Sainsbury, that the Part 32 structure, with the side letters from the C&AG, was appropriate. I am merely seeking to make sure that that is applied consistently across the public sector without any unnecessary deviation. The Minister has raised a lot of points that we will have to think about but I am not convinced of the need for this two-tier approach for public sector companies. It is still cumbersome and unnecessary. I hope the Minister will reflect further on it, as we will, before Third Reading. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 459 [Small companies: conditions for exemption from audit]: