---

Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill

The noble and learned Baroness the Attorney-General has not explained what is wrong with Amendment No. 4C. She has simply said that the Government do not accept it. From what she has said so far, I do not understand why. The amendment does not prescribe a statutory scheme; all it does is give the court an express power to appoint special counsel from the Attorney-General’s panel. What is wrong with that? Is it that it is unnecessary because there is ample power to do it already, and therefore this is, as lawyers say, otiose? Or is it that in some way it conflicts with settled government policy, or that the Government have not decided the policy? We need to know so that I can tell the committee why the Government do not accept the amendment.