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Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (Code of Practice for Interviews of Witnesses Notified by Accused) Order 2010

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing the order. I also thank the usual channels for removing the two statutory instruments that we were due to debate this afternoon on a separate Motion—the draft Damages-Based Agreements Regulations 2010 and the draft Conditional Fee Agreements (Amendment) Order 2010. They will be debated in the House next Thursday rather than the Moses Room. That decision follows comments by the Merits Committee on those two statutory instruments, and representations from others including the noble Lord, Lord Martin of Springburn, who has tabled a Motion to Resolve that the House regrets that the Government have laid those instruments before it. No doubt we will debate that in due course. The reason I mentioned those instruments is that one of the noble Lord’s principal concerns was that there had been a lack of consultation. On this order, therefore, I am grateful that the Minister emphasised that for once his department has had extensive consultation of the appropriate type. On the code itself, as the Minister knows, my honourable friend Henry Bellingham in another place put a number of questions to the Government and received perfectly good answers, so I do not think it will be right to waste the time of the Committee this afternoon by asking anything further. I am grateful that the Minister emphasised the voluntary nature of the process and that it would apply only if the appropriate witness was prepared to come forward and be interviewed. It was right that he should emphasise that. We will not oppose the order.