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Powers of Entry etc. Bill [HL]

My Lords, I will speak briefly in support of the noble Lord and of his fascinating and entertaining introduction. I speak as an ordinary citizen who values individual freedom and is suspicious of the seemingly endless advances of red tape and regulation. As the noble Lord states in his background information paper and has confirmed again this morning, the Bill has been carefully researched over a considerable period, and it is introduced in good faith. I have not been involved in the development of the Bill, and I read it for the first time only recently. I can only say that I was unaware of the extent of the powers that exist. I do not see how anyone could fail to be amazed by the list of 155 Acts of Parliament set out in Schedule 1 to the Bill. Those Acts contain powers of entry or authorise the making of regulations containing such powers. It is an awesome list. The aim of the Bill is to establish a common code of practice that brings the multiple excuses and procedures for entry into private property under one heading. The main risk is that the proposed code becomes so complicated that it is self-defeating. The challenge is to make the code clear and simple enough that it does not become yet another layer of bureaucracy. The proposed code of practice set out in Schedule 2 to the Bill achieves that. As I have said, a great deal of research and thought has gone into the production of the Bill. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Selsdon, and Professor Stone, on their work. I am in full agreement with the objectives of the Bill, and I wish it well on its journey through Parliament.