Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill

I am being tempted to go into much wider issues on Supply days. That relates only to the Front Bench. There are occasions when Back Benchers feel frustrated that the leaders of their party do not wish to bring to the Floor of the House things that they want to debate. I do not often feel the frustration that a left-wing member of the Labour party must sometimes feel about the priorities given to business by his Front Bench, but there were times during the Iraq war when I was slightly impatient about the opportunities we had, the timing of the debates and the form of the motion proposed through the usual channels to be debated on the Floor of the House. On deregulatory matters to do with forestry and the licensing of vendors of game, one might often find that the two Front Benches and the usual channels do not have the monopoly of the views of every hon. Member about what the proper procedure should be. I do not understand why Ministers are being so cautious. I have not doubted their good will because when I debated this matter with the previous Minister I believed him, and when I listen to these Ministers I believe them when they say that they have no intention of undermining Parliament and they intend to deregulate only on non-controversial measures. They give us every assurance that it has never crossed their minds to introduce politically controversial measures that might upset a significant minority or to avoid proper debate by taking it through their proposed process. I still cannot understand why the Government will not include that in the Bill, as they would bind all their successors—and not just themselves—if they did so. They are receiving advice from someone in the Department who does not share their deregulatory enthusiasm or who has a sneaking hope that one day a Government will get stuff through Parliament quicker and with less inconvenience. Why do the Government keep tabling late and mealy-mouthed amendments that do not live up to their undertakings? My praise for their deregulatory intentions would be followed by praise for their sensitivities to sentiments in the House if they tabled amendments—alternatively they could accept the amendments tabled by the Conservative spokesmen and by the Liberal Democrats—and include in the Bill something that they have been telling us since they first introduced it. I do not understand their reluctance to do so.