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Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill

I am not discussing the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I do not intend to do so. I have spent the past two weeks discussing it in detail, but I hope that we will have the chance to discuss it further on Report. However, what I am discussing and what I want to address my remarks to is whether Government new clause 4 is consistent with the Government’s avowed intent to reduce the burden of regulation on organisations and local authorities. My understanding is that one of the principles of good regulation that the Government avow is that legislation should not be duplicatory or exhortative and that it should add something new to the statute book that is necessary to achieve an objective. New clause 4 is basically window dressing; it has no substance in my view or in the Minister’s view. If it had substance, he would have to concede that it would impose a new burden on local authorities, and he denies that it would do so. That is the case.