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Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill [Lords]

All three amendments respond to recommendations from the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee and relate purely to parliamentary procedure. As hon. Members may be aware, the Committee met on 31 October to consider all the amendments made to the Bill during its passage in the Commons. The Committee raised procedural concerns in relation to three amendments. These further amendments fully address those concerns. Amendments No. 237A and 153A reflect the advice of the Committee as to the appropriate parliamentary procedure for orders made under paragraph 14 of the new schedule, ““Appropriate verification””, and the new clause, ““Devolution: alignment””, respectively. Both Lords amendments provide that orders are subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. Lords amendment No. 250A resolves an uncertainty raised by the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee and makes it clear that the procedure referred to in sub-paragraphs 2(3)(c) and (d) of the new schedule on transitional provisions will be prescribed in regulations, and that the regulations will be subject to the negative resolution procedure. I am grateful to the Committee for the time that it has taken to consider the amendments, and I am pleased that we were able to table amendments to respond to the Committee’s advice. I hope that the House will agree to the amendments.