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Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [Lords]

The hon. Gentleman has asked about that issue several times. As I say, the variable penalties are an alternative to criminal prosecution. A business faced with a penalty might spin out the process to see what happened, and then appeal at the end of the process for a different type of judgment altogether. There is a power of appeal to an independent tribunal, which safeguards the rights of the business; that is very important. However, under the Bill, it is the regulator who should make the judgment about which road to go down.