Offender Management Bill

moved Amendment No. 12: 12: Clause 1, page 2, line 22, leave out ““Secretary of State”” and insert ““Lord Chancellor”” The noble Baroness said: I will also speak to the other amendments in the group, which are on the same basis. They simply replace ““Secretary of State”” with ““Lord Chancellor””. Two weeks ago, the Government split up the Home Office and transferred part of it to what is now the Ministry of Justice, which was the DCA. We still have a Lord Chancellor at its head, who sits as a Member of this House. Why does the Bill, which has been transferred to the Ministry of Justice for its handling and line of accountability, still refer to the Secretary of State? I note that earlier this year when the Legal Services Bill was debated in this House, on the first day of Report, the Government conceded the arguments made by noble Lords that the references to ““Secretary of State”” should be substituted by ““Lord Chancellor””. Why should that not be done in this Bill too? Noble Lords will note that I have not overtaxed the use of paper by trying to table an amendment referring to every single use of the phrase ““Secretary of State””. If the noble Baroness was minded to accept the amendment, later amendments could be made. She looks as if she is not going to accept the amendment; oh dear, what a surprise. I beg to move.