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Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill [HL]

My Lords, I am grateful to both noble Baronesses for their contributions on all the issues relating to the Bill which have enabled us to improve it as we send it to another place. I believe that we have found an effective way forward in this difficult issue of carers in the home. I can confirm to the noble Baroness, Lady Buscombe, that the wording in the revised code of practice will be that there is an expectation that carers will require those whom they employ of behalf of vulnerable adults in the home to be subject to monitoring. The expectation will also be made clear to those who undertake the caring that they will be expected to make themselves subject to monitoring within the scheme. I hope that that will go a long way to meeting the concerns, which I recognise, expressed by the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, that those making arrangements on behalf of vulnerable adults will have to ask whether the individual is subject to monitoring. In fact, the regime normally applying will be that they have made themselves subject to monitoring. I accept that this is a difficult issue of balance which we have had to wrestle with—on the one hand, taking forward a significant tightening-up of the system regarding our expectations of monitoring; and, on the other, the availability of advice to carers that they can and should conduct the CRB checks as appropriate without seeking to criminalise those who are making arrangements often on behalf of family members in their own home. The noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley asked whether we would keep the issue under review. I can give an undertaking that we will do so. We also intend to share with noble Lords and with colleagues in another place the draft wording that we will put in the code of practice as and when it is available. On that basis, I hope that the amendments will be accepted. These amendments are actually on disqualification orders but, in agreeing to them, I hope noble Lords will also accept our way forward on carers. On Question, amendment agreed to. Clause 8 [Person not to engage in regulated activity unless subject to monitoring]: