Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 22: 22: Clause 5, page 3, line 31, at end insert ““, and (d) in a way which allows or encourages economic progress”” The noble Lord said: We have had a lot of discussion about the impact of these provisions, and the Minister has reminded us frequently of the need for a light touch, but we have not said anything about the importance to all of us of economic activity as a means of building the prosperity of this country, from which all good things will flow. It is worth having some reference to that activity in Clause 5. I therefore seek to insert a new paragraph (d) into the objectives relating to general functions in subsection (1). I do not doubt that the matter is infelicitously drafted, but we have failed to hammer home this important central point. I do not want to keep quoting the general introduction to the compliance code, but it says: "““Effective and well-targeted regulation is essential in promoting fairness and protection from harm””—" two issues to which the Minister has referred several times this afternoon. The code goes on: "““However, the Government believes that, in achieving these and other legitimate objectives, regulation and its enforcement should be proportionate and flexible enough to allow or even encourage economic progress””." The phrase ““or even encourage”” is very strange, but never mind; encouraging economic progress is critical to us all, no matter what our political persuasions may be, if we are to achieve some of the desirable outcomes that we discuss here and in the Chamber. I have taken out the word ““even”” and have merely lifted these words from the code as something else to be taken into account. If they are good enough for the regulators’ compliance code, they are good enough for the Bill. The Bill needs to address somewhere the importance of economic activity to the future prosperity of this country, and the LBRO should have regard to that issue in its operation and relationships with local authorities. I beg to move.