Powers of Entry etc. Bill [HL]

My Lords, with the permission of the House, I rise to speak in the gap. The views that the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, has just expressed are consistent with his general sympathy for the introduction of national identity cards, which, equally, are about information available to the state. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Selsdon, on introducing this Bill. I had no intention of speaking today because I thought that the Bill would be taken later in the afternoon and I did not expect to be here, so my comments will be brief. I particularly welcome the fact that the Bill is realistic in its objectives in the sense that it excludes intelligence, police and HM Revenue and Customs, because, if there were any public concern about the contents of the Bill, it would be that the services provided in those areas might be compromised in some way. They will not be as a result of the Bill. I also welcome the Bill because it establishes the principle of records being kept of all occasions when these powers are being used. This information is not generally available, and the provisions in paragraph 33 of Schedule 2, and those in paragraph 34 on the wider availability of the information gleaned under paragraph 33, are welcome to those of us who believe in the widest possible application of freedom of information. I also welcome paragraph 6 of Schedule 2, which requires that a copy of the code must be carried by all those exercising the powers to which it applies and that it must be made available to the occupier of any premises entered. Like the noble Lord, Lord Cobbold, I was astonished to read the substantial list of legislation that provides for potential entry by people under warrant or whatever. I did not know that the powers were available on such a scale in such a wide variety of conditions. Every citizen in the land should know that they, as individuals, have access to the code and should be sure and satisfied that the conduct of a person applying the code is proper under the law. As I said, I welcome the Bill. I hope that some way can be found to take the provisions forward. There are one or two little areas where I have a slight reservation but I am sure that they can be dealt with at a later stage.