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Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 165: 165: Clause 63, page 28, line 31, at end insert ““the National Audit Office and”” The noble Lord said: We reach Clause 63, which, happily, provides for a review by Ministers of how all these powers are operating after they have been going for three years. Obviously I support that, but the question raised by my amendment is who should do the review. At the moment, the relevant authority, which is the Minister, or the Welsh Minister in the case of Wales, must consult such persons as they consider appropriate. I suggest that they should consult the National Audit Office and any other persons they consider appropriate. I hope that Amendments Nos. 165 and 166 achieve that. I am a strong supporter of the National Audit Office. I think that it is a good institution and that it makes very good and thorough reports on the activities of the various departments. As a Minister, I found that it was a good and fair arrangement, and it has been going for a very long time. Therefore, as I said, I support it. In a way, my amendment might be regarded as a bit of nationalisation, because the other persons might be outside government, whereas the NAO is obviously part of the central machine although not part of the Government—it is obviously very independent. Nationalisation is the way in which these things have gone. As a matter of fact, many years ago I was the private sector auditor of Leicester City Council—more accurately, I was auditor’s clerk, engaged in the audit of the council. That sort of thing disappeared long ago, and the NAO should be involved in the review, which is properly to be carried out after three years. I beg to move.