My Lords, we are pleased with the amendment and grateful to the Minister for his contextual words. The recommendation brings into play a recommendation from the Delegated Powers Committee. It is important because these national class consent orders were very broad. Although the committee recognised that there was a case for using secondary legislation for this, it was concerned that it needed a slightly higher level of consent. The amendment also fits in with the feelings of English Heritage on the matter, so we are in a good place and it was helpful to have the wider context laid out.
In his speech the Minister mentioned local class consent orders, which are not touched on in the amendment. Here we will register our disappointment that the proposal is not to revise or review the regularity of reporting, which will remain annual.
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The Minister says that the request would be a light touch, but he did not give us much explanation of what that was. Can he explain in a bit more detail what
“light touch” means? Will it perhaps be to report only if there are changes, which need to be brought to the attention of the authorities? Is it going to be a tick-box exercise? Is it too radical a suggestion to make that it will be electronic? I do not necessarily need a response today, but if he could write to me I could pass it on quickly to the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, and that would be sufficient.