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Proceeding contribution from Lord Goodhart (Liberal Democrat) in the House of Lords on Monday, 28 February 2011. It occurred during Committee of the Whole House (HL) and Debate on bill on Public Bodies Bill [HL].

Public Bodies Bill [HL]

My Lords, I am extremely grateful to my noble friend Lord Taylor of Holbeach for informing us of the removal of Schedule 7 and Clause 11. I was seriously concerned about this matter because I was until the general election the chairman of the Delegated Powers Committee, and I think I am its only surviving former chairman. As it was drafted, the Bill gave power in Schedule 7 and Clause 11 for the Government to do all sorts of things whenever they decided to do so. It was entirely uncertain, and whenever I looked at it I saw in my mind the quotation from King Lear: "““I will do such things, what they are yet I know not, but they shall be the terrors of the earth””." What is now proposed is broadly within the standards recognised by your Lordships’ House for delegated powers and I am very pleased that this difficulty is over. It will cut a very substantial amount of time from what we would have expected.

Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
725 c801 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Devolved matters Charities Closures Licensing Forestry Forestry Commission Northern Ireland Public sector Public bodies Public expenditure Non-departmental public bodies Public finance Scotland Security Small businesses Regulation Wales Security guards Regional development agencies Nesta North East Design Council Security Industry Authority Railway Heritage Committee Local enterprise partnerships
Legislation
Public Bodies Bill (HL) 2010-12
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk