Clause 1 - The Security Industry Authority
Private Security Industry Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Mr Charles Clarke (Minister of State, Home Office; Norwich South, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman is right about the Home Office annual report. Above and beyond that, I recollect that a report is produced by the Cabinet Office of all the agencies of Government, which are defined by the Departments to which they are responsible, that enables immediate reference to be made to those organisations. In process and reporting terms, it is right to put them in the context of each Department's report. The Home Office annual report does that as well.
I believe that paragraph 17 of schedule 1, which requires annual reporting to take place, goes a long way to meeting the concerns raised by my right hon. Friend. I assure him, as I have said, that the Government will review the operation of the Act, and conduct a formal review after a three-year period. The powers of the House, through Select Committees and otherwise, to debate and deal with specific issues go a long way towards meeting his concerns. I ask him to withdraw the amendment.