---

Police and Justice Bill

My Lords, having spoken in last week’s debate and expressed my concern about what the Government then proposed, and voted accordingly, I wish to put on record how much I welcome the statement by my noble friend the Minister this evening, for the various reasons that have been given. The proposal will ensure the co-ordination that is needed, and which I understand the various inspectors have willingly committed themselves to, and yet at the same time will eliminate any danger of important, separate issues being subsumed in a reorganisation of the kind that we discussed last week. I, too, accept that in some areas we may be talking about perception rather than reality. I certainly accept my noble friend’s assurances that there was no government agenda to weaken the inspectorates, including the prisons inspectorate. Indeed, I did not suspect that that was the Government’s motive in bringing forward the original proposals. The noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, and thenoble Baroness who speaks for the Conservatives Opposition on these issues referred to the contributions that some noble Lords on the Government Benches had made. As a new Member of your Lordships’ House, I say to my noble friend that I have not been emboldened by this experience to make me wish to repeat such rebellious behaviour regularly. I recognise that the measure that we are discussing represents a satisfactory outcome. I also recognise the efforts made by my noble friend and her colleagues in bringing about this solution.