Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [HL]

I hope that Clause 11 is taken forward. I am grateful for the contribution of the noble Viscount; he has a wealth of experience in this field and what he has to say is important. The priorities to which he referred are those that I believe he saw in the guide and are the result of the Rogers independent review, which the Government have accepted. We agree that many other significant issues are involved here and, because the noble Viscount has taken me slightly by surprise, I do not wish to flannel him off with words. If he will be kind enough to allow me to do so, I intend to write to him with a fuller answer to the issue he raised, particularly about ASBOs. That is the best that I can do this afternoon to give a proper answer to his question. The list that he referred to is evidence-based and is drawn from extensive consultation with business, regulators, consumer groups, local authorities and government. It was drawn up independently by Rogers, who is the distinguished chief executive of Westminster City Council. He is not employed by the Government in any capacity and his report was accepted in full. I will write to the noble Viscount but I want to make it clear that my department is concerned with successful business, regulatory reform and enterprise, and has an important role to play in the consumer field. So although it is business and consumer-orientated, the department is part of government and the noble Viscount’s queries demand a proper response. That is what they will get.