Clause 7 - Notification of court and date of trial
Criminal Justice and Police Bill
10:15 am
Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire, Conservative)
The Parliamentary Secretary is right to the extent that he has promised to consider what should be said when the warning notice is given. I welcome that, and it meets part of my point. Of course, it is true that if people do nothing, they have a one and a half times fine slapped on them, and they are taken to court. We will come later to the provisions that will allow them to seek a trial. However, I feel that he could further elucidate what ``given'' means. If it simply means ``handed to'', it would be nice if he would say so.
Everyone in the Government says, ``Oh, let's get on with it. Our Bill is perfect. Anyone who criticises any aspect of it is filibustering.'' Ministers should reflect on the words of the Home Secretary when he was in opposition. He said:
``careful scrutiny is one of the best guarantors of good legislation''.—[Official Report, 20 November 1995; Vol. 267, c. 339.]
My experience in the House, although not very lengthy, is that if Front Benchers agree and Committees whiz through in record time—as happened, for example, with the child support arrangements—we do not usually get the best law. The Parliamentary Secretary has to concede that he has already given way on half a dozen occasions or promised that he will reflect on matters. That is because we are doing our job properly.