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Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill

My Lords, there have been a number of speeches, both in this House and in the other place, expressing considerable unease about remedial orders as originally set out in Clause 9. Without doubt, the proposed amendments, which the noble and learned Lord the Attorney-General has already referred to, now greatly improve the drafting of the Bill and make matters far more clear. The noble and learned Lord may have noticed, however, that whereas, in the interests of good will and consensus, I have added my name to a number of government amendments, in this instance I have not done so. That is because I still believe the crucial question is how to make these orders work while avoiding any measures that a fair-minded person might deem to be disproportionate. I confess that I am still quite torn when looking at AmendmentNo. 36, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Turner of Camden, because that seems to be a step in the right direction. If these orders are to be effective, responsibility for them must be clearly allocated and accountability established. We are dealing with corporate offences here, however, and on that basis we must focus just as clearly on corporate redress and corporate answers to the problems that have led to death. On balance, and with some reluctance, I am of the view, which I believe I share with the noble and learned Lord, that corporate measures will, and must, suffice.