Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill

Baroness Gardner of Parkes Excerpts

Wednesday 20th March 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Whitty]

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.

[Baroness Gardner of Parkes]

I thank the noble Lord for that. Unfortunately I had to wait for the lift and I got stuck getting here. Apparently there is no way we can go back to my amendments. Is that correct? Perhaps the Minister or someone else will answer. I had every intention—I had waited here all day specifically—to move these amendments.

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

I am sorry to say to my noble friend that her amendments were called and not moved, so I am afraid that we have now moved on to Amendment 7.