My Lords, I make no apologies for returning to this subject. We have left the Agricultural Wages Board in a very difficult position. The substance of the matter was carried on 7 March and clearly the Government have the primary authority to abolish the board. In fact, they already had because it was in the Public Bodies Act. The difference is that the Public Bodies Act required a stringent and enhanced system of scrutiny to be followed before abolition could be implemented. We are now in the ludicrous position, after a very late amendment to the Bill, in which the only public body that is not subject to an enhanced scrutiny process—which this House insisted, after some very difficult and bitter debates, must apply to all public bodies—is the Agricultural Wages Board.
I am not sure if it is in order to cede the ground to the noble Baroness, Lady Gardner of Parkes. Clearly, her amendment preceded mine. I am getting a shake of the head from the Clerk at the Table. That is the procedure, I am afraid. I am sorry.