Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 193: 193: Clause 72, page 33, line 17, at end insert— ““( ) This Act shall cease to have effect on 1st January 2010 unless the Secretary of State provides by order that any provisions which are in force shall continue in force after that date.”” The noble Baroness said: The amendment proposes a sunset clause which will make the Local Better Regulation Office, the primary authority partnership and all that this Bill proposes cease by 2010. It is a fitting amendment with which to close our discussions in Grand Committee because it is emblematic of how we on these Benches have approached the Bill. The noble Lord, Lord Bach, has asked me again and again whether I support it. The answer is that while I like the sound of its stated aims—its promise to deliver consistency, transparency, accountability and proportionality—I do not think that it will be able to realise all these. In the past five sittings, and even in the past five minutes, we have heard about the difficulties. If Her Majesty’s Government are hell bent on pursuing the Bill, it is essential that the Local Better Regulation Office and all that goes with it should start out as a pilot scheme that can be reviewed and then dissolved if the worst fears of many noble Lords turn out to be true. To create an inefficient and ineffective body is dangerous enough, but to sustain it so that it can inflict long-term damage on an already failing regulatory system is dangerous indeed. However, if the Local Better Regulation Office surprises us all, it can continue in its good work of better regulation, something we are desperately in need of and which of course we support. I beg to move.