Serious Crime Bill [HL]

I am tempted to follow the noble Lord, Lord Crickhowell, and I entirely understand what the noble Lord, Lord Dear, is talking about in regard to water pollution. I appeared for Shell in the case concerning the pollution of the Mersey, to which the noble Lord, Lord Crickhowell, referred. He said that there are adequate laws to deal with such offences; there certainly were. Mr Justice Mars-Jones lashed out what was then the record fine of £1 million. It was the final sentence he passed before he retired. I had to follow being on the receiving end of that fine with a eulogy to his character and virtues as a judge. That is burned into my memory. The point that the noble Lord makes is extremely valid: there are more than adequate powers already to deal with this sort of issue, and to include a provision of this nature is entirely wrong.