Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [HL]

I support Amendment No. 94, which of course I would, given the examples already set out by the noble Viscount, Lord Colville. I will not waste the time of the Committee by trying to articulate the arguments again, but we hear again and again that there is so little on the face of the Bill; it would be a great comfort to have something. This is a perfect example of the issue. Let us have the provisions in the Bill so that we can debate them both in this House and the other place. Statutory instruments are becoming the enemy of the people. It is quite worrying that the Government have got themselves into a position whereby they are afraid to put things into a Bill. That is not the way this Minister works because it is not in his nature to do so, and that is why the Prime Minister brought him to this House. He can bring fresh air to these issues and say to the Government, ““Don’t let’s be so afraid””. We do not need statutory instruments for everything and we do not need the very long meetings that go with them. Moreover, we cannot do anything about them once they have been passed. If I hear the words ““appropriate”” or ““statutory instrument”” one more time, I shall begin to think that the Bill is being conducted by the people sitting behind the Ministers rather than by the two noble Lords sitting on the Front Bench.