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Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [HL]

This amendment and the next group are welcome in that they provide us with an opportunity to discuss the provision that we have made for LBRO’s constitution and accountability. We do not believe that the amendment is necessary. I hope that I have not given false encouragement to the noble Lord by making a concession on the previous amendment. I know that he is too experienced to expect too many presents. I understand very well the arguments made by the noble Lord in moving his amendment, but I can confirm that the provisions regarding the appointments to the board closely follow a recent precedent. The precedent on which I rely for five years being the maximum period—I emphasise ““the maximum””—in the relevant paragraph of the schedule is the model set for the Serious and Organised Crime Agency. Although the three-year cycle argument is interesting, there are perhaps two points to make about it. Most of the public appointments here are on a three-year basis already, but I argue that that does not take away from the fact that there should be a five-year maximum. Of course, the noble Lord will know that appointments can be revoked because of paragraph 6(4) of Schedule 1, which states: "““The Secretary of State may remove a person as an ordinary member of LBRO at any time””."