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Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [Lords]

I was very disappointed not to be on the Committee, having spoken extensively on Second Reading. Obviously, so many colleagues wanted to be on the Committee that I was ruled out, but that is one reason why I hope to speak on Third Reading. We know that the Government’s figures are Mickey Mouse figures, whereas the council’s figures are probably correct. If they are multiplied by the number of local authorities, we see that the Bill will mean huge costs for very little benefit. I agree with my hon. Friend and the hon. Lady about the confusion that the Bill may cause. I have tried to get my head round the details about prime authorities; what happens when more than one local authority is involved; the significance of whether a company is big or small; and when one local authority’s rules apply as opposed to another’s. I cannot think of anything more confusing, but the Bill is supposed to reduce regulation and improve clarity. The Minister must surely acknowledge that the Bill will centralise power. The Government will be able to tell the strangely named LBRO what to do and it will then tell the regulators and the local authorities what to do, despite the wishes of elected councillors. When I was a councillor many years ago, the great advantage of local democracy was that we made local decisions for our local area. Decisions we made in Southend were different from those made in Birmingham. It is suggested that if the Government at the centre direct the regulation and remove the right of local authorities to carry out enforcement, that will somehow improve clarity for local businesses. The Minister will have to square the circle and explain that to people. Councillors in my area have expressed great concern about the Bill. The Minister may, of course, accept the amendments, which would improve the situation.