Law Commission Bill [Lords]

I am grateful to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry) for her remarks, but I am disappointed that she feels that she cannot accept amendments that would strengthen the Bill. The hon. Lady talks about the powers of compromise and the possibility that the Bill might not get on to the statute book. As she knows, however, the Bill began as a proposal to form part of the Constitutional Renewal Bill, the Second Reading of which is scheduled for next Tuesday. If, as a consequence of strengthening the Bill before us along the lines that we all want, the legislation does not reach the statute book this Session, it will make no difference, because it can be incorporated into the Constitutional Renewal Bill. It could be introduced as a new clause, which no doubt the Government themselves would table or accept, because, as we understand, it is a Government proposal. Under the Bill, the reporting year would not start until after Royal Assent—so the year would run from October 2009 to October 2010—and the report would be introduced as soon as practicable after that. Realistically, therefore, we would not get the first report until late 2010 or early to mid-2011. If my amendment were incorporated, we could have the first report by next spring. It is a risk worth taking. If, as a result of being incorporated, the Bill does not pass through the other place—because the Government are too reluctant to accept even this modest amendment and to find the time to agree it—we would revert to consideration of the Constitutional Renewal Bill, and I could propose a similar amendment that could be implemented probably on exactly the same time scale.