Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

I thank Members of the Committee and reiterate that I will take very careful account of them in taking this work forward. I am afraid that it is sackcloth and ashes. On scrutiny, I acknowledge that new clauses were added in the Commons; I have no doubt that your Lordships will want to give them particular attention when we come to debate them in due course. Whatever comments have been made about the current processes and rules under which the ombudsman works, on behalf of the Government, I place on record my admiration for the work of the current ombudsman, who I believe has done an excellent job. As noble Lords said, the Government are as committed as ever to putting this on a statutory basis. I want to make it absolutely clear that we are committed to establishing this office by statute. The question then arises of when we will be able to do so. I cannot give a definite date. However, we regard this as an urgent piece of business to be undertaken. We expect the review outcome to be produced later in the year and then to have an early opportunity to introduce fresh legislation. I cannot go any further than that today. There have been questions about independence, the Secretary of State’s ability to ask the ombudsman to take on certain functions, and about direct accountability to Parliament. I have listened. We thought that we had got it right in the Bill. It is clear that many comments have been received, and we will consider those very carefully. The noble Baroness, Lady Stern, was right to mention the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. I reassure her that we are committed to statutory provision.