---

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill

Will the noble Lord, Lord Wedderburn, consider a possible variation to this principle? There is cause for concern here. We have talked about the possible need for directors to be given designated or exclusive responsibility for health and safety standards. In this instance, the failure would probably be that of the director responsible for those standards. There will be great difficulty in finding enough people with the right qualifications already serving on boards to become dedicated health and safety officers at board level. Many very good directors will probably be asked to take on this responsibility and learn it on the job. Will the noble Lord, Lord Wedderburn, consider whether it might be fairer and more equitable if, instead of disqualification, the offence should be disqualification of a director from acting as a health and safety officer at board level so that the role has to be circulated to somebody else? It would seem a great shame to throw out the baby with the bathwater, if you are getting rid of a very good director in all other respects because he volunteered to take on the health and safety and could not cut the mustard with it.