Public Bodies Bill [Lords]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The combination of the regulatory responsibility of Consumer Focus and the voluntary responsibilities and representation involved in Citizens Advice's role is wholly inappropriate. I hope that the Minister will think again on that proposal as well. I want briefly to refer to S4C, which also remains in the Bill. S4C is vital to sustaining the Welsh language's prominence in Welsh culture and society. We therefore hope that the Minister will agree to the independent review of S4C for which the leaders of all four main parties in Wales have called. I also want to deal briefly with the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Youth Justice Board. I urge the Minister to stick to the settlement that was concluded in another place in this regard. As has already been mentioned, the introduction of the Office of the Chief Coroner received cross-party support when it was legislated for in 2009. There is a desperate need to improve the coronial system, which fails too many families. Establishing such a system is also a central obligation under the military covenant. I hope that the Minister will heed carefully the words of Chris Simpkins, the director-general of the Royal British Legion, who has said that he believes that"““this decision would be a deep betrayal of bereaved Service families. We anxiously await a response that will satisfy us that the interests of Service families will be represented.””" Over the course of the last Parliament, the Youth Justice Board oversaw a 43% reduction in first-time youth offenders, by working with youth offending teams to focus on the causes of crime. In another place, Lord Woolf has said that"““this initiative has been wholly salutary. It…gave new hope to all those who were concerned for this area of our justice system. The best test of the innovation is to ask, ““Did it work?””…the balance sheet would show a huge improvement””.—[Official Report, House of Lords, 28 March 2011; Vol. 726, c. 961.]" I hope that, during the Bill's progress through the House, the Minister will consider carefully the power of these arguments from people of the utmost distinction and sincerity. In conclusion, let me reaffirm our support for reform, while stating that it needs to be planned, properly costed and undertaken on the basis of clear necessity and an understanding of the context in which these bodies operate. The way in which the Government have conducted this legislation to date has been an affront to decent process. I now call on Members of all parties, having properly considered the important role and function of many of the bodies that so clearly meet the Minister's test, to rebuild the shaken confidence in this legislation and support our reasoned amendment in the Lobby this evening.