Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [HL]

I will confine my remarks to opposing the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, on targeting in Amendments Nos. 23 and 48. In the first place, it is clear that Clause 5(2) is in precisely the same words as Section 21(2) of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006. That does not necessarily make it right, but it does mean that the Government are being consistent. If the Government are not consistent from one year to the next—this was only about 18 months ago—it would be somewhat unusual. In principle, the value of targeting for local authorities is that, taking into account both national and local priorities, they focus their resources on high-risk enterprises and give a much lighter touch to those businesses that are compliant. That ensures that traders who flout the law and deliberately go against the rules that they are required to follow are dealt with effectively—or should I say effectively, efficiently and economically?— providing in those cases vital protection for consumers, businesses and the environment. It seems to me that we should follow the precise words of the 2006 Act and not delete them, as the noble Baroness wishes.