Identity Cards Bill
8:10 pm
The Earl of Erroll (Crossbench)
This amendment gives me an opportunity to say what I should have said on the previous amendment in reply to the Minister. An agency is planned for this, and the Minister said that that would make it subject to parliamentary scrutiny or control. I have always understood that one problem with agencies is that we could not ask questions of the Minister about them, as agencies are separate bodies. Agencies are responsible to Ministers and to the charters that set them up, but as long as they operate within that, Parliament cannot ask questions directly about what they get up to or how they operate. I may be wrong, but I would like some clarification.