Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 5: 5: Schedule 1, page 36, line 29, leave out paragraph 12 and insert— ““(1) As soon as practicable after the end of each financial year, LBRO shall publish a report on— (a) the discharge of its functions, (b) the extent to which, in its opinion, its objectives (see section 5 of this Act) have been met, (c) the performance of its general duties, and (d) the management of its affairs, during that year. (2) LBRO shall lay a copy of each such report before Parliament. (3) In sub-paragraph (1) above, ““financial year”” means— (a) the period beginning with the date on which LBRO is established and ending with the next 31st March following that date, and (b) each successive period of 12 months ending with 31st March.”” The noble Lord said: We now move to the annual report, which is provided for in paragraph 12 of Schedule 1. I would like the Minister to accept that the way in which the annual report is to be drawn is too sketchy. It is too vague in its layout and it would benefit greatly from being made a bit more prescriptive so that the LBRO has to be judged against better criteria than the rather bland phrase, ““discharge of its functions””, which comes in line 30 on page 36. If this is to work, it is important that we set the bar high so that the LBRO does well—we will discuss that when we debate Clause 5—and that it can be seen by those concerned with its operation that it is meeting those high standards. The ““discharge of its functions”” is perhaps a general, important statement that it should make, but it also ought to look at the way in which it has fulfilled its objectives as laid out in Clause 5. We will be debating those and perhaps amending them, but we really want to make sure that it has done what it has been asked to do in Clause 5. The LBRO also needs to say something about general duties and something about its management of affairs, bearing in mind that under Clause 14 it can enter into agreements, borrow money and acquire property. There is a whole series of things that it ought specifically to be asked to report on each year. Yes, it should report on its functions, but it also ought to deal with objectives, its general duties—where it is giving advice about central or local government and where it is dealing with enforcement—and the management of its affairs. That would make a better, more cohesive annual report, which would enable everyone to see whether the LBRO was performing in accordance with what was originally planned for it. That is not covered by the present formulation of the schedule. I beg to move.